Coronavirus in UAE: All Flights to China Suspended, Except to Beijing

Incoming and ongoing flights to China will temporarily stop from February 5, 2020

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced on Monday that all UAE flights to and from China are now suspended in a bid to contain the outbreak of the new coronavirus.

SEE ALSO: Coronavirus in the UAE: What You Need to Know

Effective from 5th February 2020, passengers in the UAE can only book flights to and from Beijing, where they must undergo 6 to 8 hours of comprehensive medical screening and quarantine before boarding the flight. This is to enhance the safety of other passengers.

All UAE flights to China will be temporarily unavailable until further notice.

The GCAA said the order to suspend flights came after careful study and analysis of the current conditions on the spread of coronavirus.The UAE authorities coordinated with international agencies and worked closely with national agencies such as the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), Emirates Airlines, and Etihad Airways.

Since 23rd January 2020, all incoming and outgoing flights to Wuhan - the city in China reported to be the source of the new coronavirus - has been cancelled and the area is currently under lockdown.

"We continue to put our confidence in the Chinese Government's efforts to control and contain the situation," GCAA said.

With growing public concerns about the coronavirus, routes to China have begun to plummet in demand. In recent days, mainstream airlines such as Emirates and Etihad Airways have begun to reduce the number of flights they have to China.

Etihad Airways has also suspended all flights to China (including Beijing) and Nagoya in Japan from February 3 - 29 as a result of low passenger demand.