Sars forces Malaysia Airlines to cancel 716 flights
Malaysia Airlines has cancelled 716 flights on 14 routes from April to June amid the global Sars health scare, it said in a statement today.
Singapore, Hong Kong, and destinations in China are among the routes affected.
"The recent events across the world have resulted in adverse impact to the global business, especially those in the commercial aviation industry," the national carrier said.
Malaysia Airlines has cancelled 716 flights on 14 routes from April to June amid the global Sars health scare, it said in a statement today.
Singapore, Hong Kong, and destinations in China are among the routes affected.
"The recent events across the world have resulted in adverse impact to the global business, especially those in the commercial aviation industry," the national carrier said.
The cancellations arise "from the softening demand for air travel following these events," it said.
Flights to Singapore have been reduced from 49 to 40 a week, Hong Kong from 12 to four, Beijing from seven to three, and Shanghai from 14 to seven.
Other affected routes were Kuala Lumpur-Jeddah, Jakarta, Guangzhou and Xiamen.
Temporary measure
Flights servicing Medan-Penang, Kuching-Kota Kinabalu-Hong Kong, Kota Kinabalu-Kaohsiung, Kuala Lumpur-Taipei and Kuching-Kota Kinabalu-Guangzhou have all been cancelled.
The airline said the move was a temporary measure and it would reinstate its operations on routes affected when the market "stabilises."
The World Health Organization said on Friday that it had received information on 2,890 probable cases including 116 deaths worldwide of the new respiratory disease known as severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars).
The Malaysian government has virtually blocked the entry of visitors from China and Hong Kong and imposed visa restrictions on Canada and Vietnam in a bid to halt the spread of the deadly Sars virus here. - AFP
