The situation with the coronavirus is constantly changing and this story will be updated. Please confirm flight details directly with the airline.
A number of airlines around the world have suspended international flying altogether in the wake of the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis which has pushed countries to either close their borders or advise against non-essential travel to help stop the spread of the disease.
Recently, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Emirates, Etihad, Vietnam Airlines, and HK Express said they would stop all their international flights due to a severe drop in travel demand.
However, some airlines are still operating a skeleton schedule, often to repatriate citizens and help stranded travellers return to their home countries.
Here are some of the airlines that are operating a small number of flights:
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand has reduced its international flight schedule to 11 routes amid the tightening of border controls around the world due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
The airline will operate the following 11 services between March 30 and May 31:
Asia
- Auckland-Hong Kong: Two return services a week
- Auckland-Shanghai: Return services on alternate days from May 2 (this service was suspended until May 1)
Australia
- Auckland-Sydney: Three return services a week
- Auckland-Brisbane: Two return services a week
- Auckland-Melbourne: Two return services a week
US
- Auckland-Los Angeles: Three return services a week
Pacific services
- Auckland-Rarotonga: One return service a week
- Auckland-Fiji: One return service a week
- Auckland-Niue: One return service a week
- Sydney-Norfolk: One return service a week
- Brisbane-Norfolk: One return service a week
All Nippon Airways (ANA)
ANA said a total of 3,813 flights serving 68 different routes from March 29 until April 24 will be affected by temporary service adjustments.
The airline will continue flights to a number of destinations such as Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong and Seoul and Singapore in April.
The airline said it initially planned to serve a total of 4,653 flights serving 72 routes during this period.
Details of ANA’s flights during this period can be found here (as of March 27).
American Airlines
American will suspend 60 per cent of its capacity in April as compared to the same period in 2019 and is planning to suspend up to 80 per cent of its capacity in May compared to the same period in 2019.
The carrier’s full schedule for the month of April can be viewed here:
Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon
Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon will cut flights by 96 per cent in April and May.
Hong Kong’s flag carrier will operate three flights per week to the following 12 destinations: London (Heathrow), Los Angeles, Vancouver, Tokyo (Narita), Taipei, New Delhi, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore and Sydney.
Cathay Dragon will operate three flights per week to the following three destinations: Beijing, Shanghai (Pudong), and Kuala Lumpur.
Delta
The list below shows the US carrier’s planned schedule for April as of March 27:
Trans-Pacific
Delta will operate the following schedule to the Asia-Pacific region:
- Atlanta-Tokyo Haneda (up to five times per week)
- Detroit-Tokyo Haneda (up to six times per week)
- Detroit-Seoul Incheon (up to five times per week)
- Honolulu-Tokyo Haneda (reduced service)
- Honolulu-Nagoya (reduced service)
- Honolulu-Osaka (reduced service)
- Seattle-Tokyo Haneda (up to seven times per week)
- Seattle-Seoul Incheon (up to five times per week)
Trans-Atlantic
The American carrier will operate one daily flight to the following destinations:
- Atlanta-Amsterdam
- Atlanta-London Heathrow
- Detroit-Amsterdam
Delta previously said it would keep flying its Atlanta-Paris Charles de Gaulle and New York JFK-London Heathrow routes, but these two routes are not included in its April flying schedule any more.
Canada
Delta will continue to fly to Canada on the following reduced schedule following recent suspensions:
- Atlanta-Toronto (one daily flight)
- Detroit-Montreal (two daily flights)
- Detroit-Ottawa (one daily flight)
- Detroit-Toronto (two daily flights)
- Minneapolis-Calgary (one daily flight)
- Minneapolis-Edmonton (one daily flight)
- Minneapolis-Saskatoon (one daily flight)
- Minneapolis-Winnipeg (one daily flight)
- New York JFK-Montreal (one daily flight)
- New York JFK-Toronto (one daily flight)
- Seattle-Vancouver (two daily flights)
Mexico
Delta will also continue to fly to Mexico with reduced schedule:
- Atlanta-Cancun (daily operation)
- Atlanta-Mexico City (daily operation)
- Los Angeles-Los Cabos (less than daily operation)
- Los Angeles-Puerto Vallarta (less than daily operation)
- Salt Lake City-Cancun (daily operation)
- Salt Lake City-Mexico City (less than daily operation)
Caribbean
The US carrier said it will continue flights primarily to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic following suspensions in response to government travel restrictions. The airline will operate the following routes:
- Atlanta-San Juan (daily operation)
- Atlanta-St. Thomas (effective April 24)
- New York JFK-San Juan (daily operation)
- New York JFK-Santiago (daily operation)
- New York JFK-Santo Domingo (daily operation)
Central and South America
Delta will only operate one daily flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil following suspensions in response to government travel restrictions.
Delta said this schedule, including routes and frequency, remains subject to change due to the evolving nature of Covid-19.
Japan Airlines
The Japanese carrier will reduce its international services by approximately 85 per cent through April 30, 2020.
JAL will continue to fly to the following destinations between March 29 and April 30 with reduced capacity:
- Americas: Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth, Boston, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego, Vancouver
- Europe: London, Paris, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Moscow, Vladivostok
- Southeast Asia: Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Delhi, Bengaluru, Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
- Oceania: Sydney, Melbourne
- East Asia: Beijing, Dalian, Tianjin, Shanghai (Hongqiao, Pudong), Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Seoul (Gimpo), Busan, Taipei (Songshan/Taoyuan), Kaohsiung
- Hawaii/Guam: Honolulu, Kona, Guam
More details of the airline’s routes can be found here:
Japan Airlines cuts 85 per cent of its flight schedule for April
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines said it will reinstate some of its international flights in April and May to bring home travellers who have not been able to return to their country or region.
The Malaysian flag carrier said it will operate select flights from Kuala Lumpur to New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia and China.
More details of reinstated flights can be found here.
Malaysia Airlines reinstates some international flights to bring travellers home
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways says it will add 48,000 seats from Australia in the coming days as people seek to return home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It is adding the following services from the country:
- A daily service to Brisbane (Boeing 777-300ER);
- Double daily service to Perth (Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER);
- Double daily service to Melbourne (Airbus A350-1000 and Boeing 777-300ER);
- Triple daily service to Sydney (Mix of Airbus A350-1000 and Boeing 777-300ER).
It represents the first time the carrier has operated flights from Brisbane.
The news follows yesterday’s announcement that Qatar Airways is adding capacity on routes to Frankfurt and London Heathrow by operating the A380, and is adding flights to Paris and Dublin from Doha.
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines (SIA) said it will cut 96 per cent of its scheduled capacity until the end of April.
The airline has extended its flight cancellations until the end of May in response to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
The carrier will continue flight cuts by only flying to 15 destinations in total in May.
SIA is set to operate flights to the following destinations (subject to regulatory approval):
- Southeast Asia: Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Manila
- North Asia: Chongqing, Seoul, Shanghai, and Tokyo (Narita)
- South West Pacific: Sydney
- US: Los Angeles
- Europe: London, Frankfurt, and Zurich
United
United’s international flying schedule has been reduced by 90 per cent, but the following six routes will operate through May (with the caveat that it remains “a fluid situation”).
- New York Newark to Frankfurt (flights 960/961)
- New York Newark to London (flights 16/17)
- New York Newark to Tel Aviv (flights 90/91)
- Houston to Sao Paulo (flights 62/63)
- San Francisco to Tokyo Narita (flights 837/838)
- San Francisco to Sydney (flights 863/870)
