Kenya Airways (KQ) has suspended flights on the Rome – Geneva route with effect from 13th March 2020 until 30th April 2020. This is as a result of the coronavirus outbreak that continues to take a toll on the aviation industry.
This comes barely weeks after the government suspended flights from northern Italy, specifically from Milan and Verona, into the Kenyan coast.
In a statement, the national carrier said affected passengers will either be rebooked on other flights, fully refunded or rescheduled, according to their preferences.
However, KQ says it will continue to operate on three more flights into Europe including Paris, Amsterdam, and London.
The airline already suspended flights to China where the deadly virus originated from.
Global Aviation Industry in Turmoil
Italy is Europe’s hardest-hit country, recording more than 9,000 cases and more than 400 deaths so far. Already, a number of airlines have also suspended their flights into and out of Europe.
The Trump administration announced it will suspend all travel from Europe to the US for 30 days. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia has already banned travel to and from the European Union. Furthermore, American Airlines is suspending service to all destinations in Europe until early May or June.
Iran Air has also suspended all flights to European destinations even as Kuwait moved to ban all commercial flights to/from Kuwait International Airport from Friday until further notice.
Moreover, Lufthansa has cancelled over 23,000 April flights, after it canceled over 7,000 flights last week.
These cancellations have led to a 30% plunge in airline stocks globally. With the trend expected to continue even as more governments impose more shutdowns in a bid to contain the virus.
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