Delta Air Lines is suspending flights from Atlanta to Seoul, Korea, and reducing international flights on other routes in response to a drop in travel amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Atlanta-based Delta said it is reducing the number of flights it operates from Atlanta to Brussels, Paris-Charles De Gaulle, Munich, Dusseldorf and Madrid.
The airline has already discontinued its flights from Atlanta to Rome through April 30 due to the outbreak of COVID-19, or the coronavirus, in Italy.
Delta also announced it is suspending flights from Atlanta to Seoul's Incheon International Airport through May 31. It is extending its suspension of flights to China through May 31. And it will continue on a reduced schedule of flights from Atlanta to Tokyo through May 31.
The carrier is also reducing or suspending service on dozens of routes from other cities to Europe and Asia. The cuts are part of a broad reduction of 65% of its trans-Pacific flights and 15%-20% of its trans-Atlantic flights.
Delta said this week it has seen a 25%-30% decline in bookings.
It plans to reduce domestic flights by 10%-15%, with reductions focused on markets with frequent flights.
With the World Health Organization declaring the coronavirus crisis a global pandemic, Delta said it "has and will continue to quickly make adjustments to service, if needed, in response to government travel directives and where our customers tell us they want to fly."
Hartsfield-Jackson general manager John Selden said traffic has declined significantly at the world's busiest airport. On Tuesday, for example, roughly 46,000 passengers went through security checkpoints at the airport, down from 63,000 a year ago, he said. That's a decline of nearly 27%.
Selden said Atlanta airport concessionaires have seen a 15% decline in foot traffic.
Delta international flight cuts from Atlanta
- Service between Atlanta and Brussels reduced from five times weekly to four times weekly starting March 29 through May 20.
- A second daily service between Atlanta and Paris-Charles De Gaulle reduced from daily to four times weekly starting March 18 through April 30.
- Daily service between Atlanta and Munich reduced to five times weekly starting March 18 through May 20.
- Daily service between Atlanta to Dusseldorf reduced to five times weekly starting March 23 through May 20.
- Daily service between Atlanta and New York-JFK to Rome suspended starting March 11 through April 30.
- A second seasonal service between Atlanta and Rome postponed from May 1 to May 21.
- Daily service between Atlanta and Madrid reduced to five times weekly starting in April through May 20.
- Previously announced suspension of all U.S. to China flying extended through May 31.
- Extension of five times weekly between Atlanta and Tokyo.
- Suspension of service between Atlanta and Seoul Incheon.
Source: Delta
For details on international flight cuts from cities other than Atlanta, see Delta's list of reductions for trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flights.
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