Mar 4, 2020 - Health

United Airlines cutting April flights amid coronavirus fears

Photo: Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images.

United Airlines will be cutting flights in April due to slowed demand amid growing fears over the novel coronavirus, per CNBC.

Where it stands: International flights will be cut by 20% and domestic flights by 10%. The rollback comes as coronavirus has spread worldwide since January — largely due to international travel stemming from Wuhan, China, and other sites of major outbreaks, including Italy and Iran.

The big picture: United is one of several airlines that have cut down on flights due to the outbreak itself or reduced demand stemming from fears of traveling. Foreign travel to the U.S. is slated to tumble over the next six months, according to the latest data from the U.S. Travel Association.

British Airways announced Monday it was canceling 12 flights from London's Heathrow to New York’s JFK airport — the most profitable route in the world — to match low demand.

Go deeper: Coronavirus to deliver largest decline in international travel to U.S. since financial crisis

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Rebecca Falconer

United Airlines to cut capacity by 50% over the coronavirus

A United Airlines plane lands at San Francisco International Airport on March 6 in Burlingame, California. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

United Airlines said in a statement Sunday it will cut capacity by about 50% for April and May from Monday, as the airline sees a drop in demand because of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The big picture: The announcement comes after Delta Airlines announced Friday it would reduce its flight capacity by 40% for the next four months over the outbreak. United said even with the cuts it announced, "we're expecting load factors to drop into the 20–30% range — and that's if things don't get worse."

Go deeper: Coronavirus rattles travelers — and airlines

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more comment from United and context.

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The coronavirus is causing widespread U.S. price cuts

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Having already hit supply chains and led to the widespread cancellation of large gatherings and events, the COVID-19 outbreak is now causing a repricing on tourism and travel globally, as airlines, hotels and travel operators see major declines in bookings and revenue.

Why it matters: China's record low readings in February for both manufacturing and services could serve as a warning of what's to come for parts of Asia, Europe, and even the U.S.

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Blue Origin still plans to launch people this year

New Shepard takes flight in December 2019. Photo: Blue Origin

Blue Origin is planning to launch another test flight of its suborbital New Shepard space system as early as this month, with human test flights expected before the end of the year.

The big picture: The Jeff Bezos-backed rocket company pumped the brakes on its test flight program last year but is now gearing up to launch its next round of flights ahead of its first tests with human passengers.

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