El Al Israel Airlines has adjusted its flights to and from the Asia-Pacific region amid the recent coronavirus outbreak that began in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Israel’s flag carrier has now extended the suspension of its Beijing flights until April 24 this year. Previously, the airline said the flights would be suspended until March 25.
The airline will also temporarily suspend its flights to and from Hong Kong until March 20. El Al said previously that it would only allow customers to change or cancel their Hong Kong flights without a penalty.
As for its Bangkok services, El Al said it will continue its flights to Bangkok, but it will reduce its flights to the city from double daily flights to one daily flight “on certain dates”. Business Traveller Asia-Pacific has reached out to the airline for more details on which flights will be affected.
The carrier also said it will add a new Tokyo service from March 11 this year. The airline said it will continue with the launch of this new route as it originally planned.
“We are continually monitoring the reports from China. We hope that the recent cautious optimism as reported in the global media will indeed continue in the coming days. Nevertheless, we at EL AL have decided to make commercial adjustments to the schedule in the Far East and increase frequencies to North America and Europe with a focus on the upcoming Passover period,” said Gonen Usishkin, CEO of El Al.
The airline said that “as soon as the situation allows” it will reinstate its flights to Beijing and Hong Kong “even prior to the dates mentioned”. It added that it will try to assist its passengers holding tickets for the changed or cancelled flights in finding alternative flights as needed.