With the coronavirus outbreak around the world showing no sign of slowing down, the travel industry has been one of the hardest affected.
Global airlines including British Airways, Cathay Pacific and United Airlines have slashed routes to destinations including northern Italy and South East Asia as they face a softening of demand due to the spread of coronavirus, or Covid-19.
Late last night, regional airline Flybe collapsed, wrecking the travel plans of tens of thousands of passengers, as the coronavirus outbreak stopped people travelling.
Europe's biggest regional airline, Flybe, has collapsed overnight as the continued spread of coronavirus takes its toll on passenger demand.
The Independent's Simon Calder explains what to do if you're a Flybe passenger:
Lufthansa has cut its flight capacity by the equivalent of around 150 planes in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The German carrier told Reuters: “We are dynamically adjusting our plans to reflect extraordinary circumstances."
Lufthansa follows airlines including British Airways and United in slashing flight schedules.
Advising consumers affected by the Flybe collapse, Richard Moriarty, chief executive at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:
This is a sad day for UK aviation and we know that Flybe’s decision to stop trading will be very distressing for all of its employees and customers.
We urge passengers planning to fly with this airline not to go to the airport as all Flybe flights are cancelled. For the latest advice, Flybe customers should visit the CAA website or the CAA’s Twitter feed for more information.
Flybe also operated a number of codeshare partnerships with international airlines. If you have an international ticket you should make contact with that airline to confirm your travel arrangements.
'Do not travel abroad' is the official warning from the United Arab Emirates to its citizens and foreign residents amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Health officials in the capital Abu Dhabi warned that those travelling abroad could face quarantine, according to Associated Press.
The UAE is home to around nine million people, as well as two major airlines, Etihad and Emirates.
Health officials in the capital Abu Dhabi warned that those travelling abroad could face quarantine, according to Associated Press.
The UAE is home to around nine million people, as well as two major airlines, Etihad and Emirates.
United Airlines said it would cut its North American route network by 10 per cent next month, and its international schedule by 20 per cent, as the spread of coronavirus continues to dampen demand for travel.
The news was announced in a joint letter to employees from CEO Oscar Munoz and president Scott Kirby.
Meanwhile, there is a hiring freeze until 30 June, employees are being offered voluntary unpaid leave, and salary increases have been postponed.
The news was announced in a joint letter to employees from CEO Oscar Munoz and president Scott Kirby.
Meanwhile, there is a hiring freeze until 30 June, employees are being offered voluntary unpaid leave, and salary increases have been postponed.
Read more here:
United Airlines cancels flights and cuts costs as coronavirus hits demand
As virus has spreading around world outlook for airlines has sufferedNorwegian Air has cancelled 22 long-haul flights between Europe and the US between 28 March and 5 May as reduced demand takes its toll, it announced this morning.
The affected routes are: Rome-Los Angeles; Rome-Boston; Rome-New York; and London-New York, where three daily departures have been trimmed to two on some days.
Affected customers will be contacted by the airline.
The airline has already reduced its capacity by 15 per cent in 2020, and said it would continue to monitor the situation.
The affected routes are: Rome-Los Angeles; Rome-Boston; Rome-New York; and London-New York, where three daily departures have been trimmed to two on some days.
Affected customers will be contacted by the airline.
The airline has already reduced its capacity by 15 per cent in 2020, and said it would continue to monitor the situation.
Alana Gomez, spokesperson for flight-comparison site jetcost.co.uk, said that coronavirus will "become the scapegoat" for the collapse of Flybe, but it would be "obtuse and even dangerous" to blame it wholly on the outbreak.
The airline has been struggling for some time now, and would likely have still gone under without the assistance of the virus. Despite its somewhat inevitability, the news about Flybe is deeply upsetting, not only for the travel industry as a whole, but for the 2,000 members of staff and local communities that will be hit the hardest. As one of the UK’s biggest regional airlines, a number of airports – such as Southampton and Anglesey – rely heavily on Flybe, and unless an alternative is sought, they could be in trouble themselves.
British train operators have said they will provide free rail travel to Flybe staff and customers stranded by the collapse.
Travellers need to show proof of either their employment or planned journey to staff at rail stations during the next week.
”We know how distressing the news about Flybe is for their staff and customers which is why train operators have arranged free travel to help them get to their destinations,” said Robert Nisbet, director of Nations and Regions at the Rail Delivery Group.
Travellers need to show proof of either their employment or planned journey to staff at rail stations during the next week.
”We know how distressing the news about Flybe is for their staff and customers which is why train operators have arranged free travel to help them get to their destinations,” said Robert Nisbet, director of Nations and Regions at the Rail Delivery Group.
New figures from aviation trade body Iata shows that coronavirus could cost the airline industry as much as $113bn (£87.47bn) this year, more than double the previous estimate.
The industry body had previously estimated that the deadly bug would cost the industry $29.3bn (£22.68bn) in terms of lost revenue.
The industry body had previously estimated that the deadly bug would cost the industry $29.3bn (£22.68bn) in terms of lost revenue.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Flybe cabin crew in the wake of the airline's collapse.
It wants to raise £30,000.
It wants to raise £30,000.
The money will be sent straight to cabin crew who belonged to trade union Unite, it said.
Previous GoFundMe campaigns raised money for Thomas Cook crew and sacked British Airways workers.
"We now need to help the Flybe branch in any small way that we can, if you could donate the cost of even a cup of coffee your fellow cabin crew members would be grateful," says the campaign.
For more information visit the GoFundMe page here.
Hong Kong International Airport, one of the world's busiest air hubs, has had its capacity cut dramatically as it struggles with a lack of passenger demand.
The departure board now looks rather less busy than it would usually...
Travel brand Saga, which operates cruises and tours, said it had seen a "higher level of cancellations" for sailings in the near-term and a "lower level" of bookings for future departures.
Meanwhile, it said in a trading update that its tour business had also seen an increase in cancellations and dampened demand from travellers. Forward bookings for 2020/21 were down 20 per cent year-on-year, with a "more significant impact in recent weeks".
Meanwhile, it said in a trading update that its tour business had also seen an increase in cancellations and dampened demand from travellers. Forward bookings for 2020/21 were down 20 per cent year-on-year, with a "more significant impact in recent weeks".
The collapse of Flybe is set to impact tens of thousands of passengers.
Singaporean authorities have ordered Turkish Airlines to fly an empty plane back to Istanbul on Thursday after a passenger on board a previous flight tested positive for coronavirus.
The same aircraft arrived in Singapore on Tuesday carrying a traveller who subsequently tested positive for coronavirus, reports Daily Sabah.
The French national in question started their journey in London, before transiting through Istanbul to get to Singapore.
The crew for the flight have been placed into quarantine - they came into close contact with the passenger, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, but tested negative for Covid-19.
Jeremy Thomson-Cook, chief economist at Equals, said of the Flybe collapse:
The coronavirus has proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back for Flybe and highlights that British businesses, especially those that predominantly serve non-metropolitan parts of the UK, will find an environment of lower consumer demand difficult to weather.
We heard from the incoming Bank of England Governor, Andrew Bailey, yesterday that supply chain finance will need to be made available quickly to UK businesses; it may not have been enough to save Flybe but should prevent others from failing in a similar fashion.
A number of airlines are offering "rescue fares" - heavily discounted tickets - for Flybe customers following the company's collapse.
Train operators in the UK are also offering free travel for Flybe's customers and staff.
The full list can be found here.
Thousands of passengers are currently being held on a cruise ship off the coast of San Francisco while they're being tested for coronavirus.
The Grand Princess has been linked to California's first death due to Covid-19. The 71-year-old man who died had been on an earlier voyage on the ship.
Read more here:
Some UK airports were more reliant on Flybe than others and will be more heavily affected by the collapse.
For Anglesey, Southampton, Belfast City and Exeter airports, Flybe services made up the majority of their flights.
For Anglesey, Southampton, Belfast City and Exeter airports, Flybe services made up the majority of their flights.
Now that Flybe is no longer, how can travellers get between some of its most popular city pairs?
Here is everything you need to know about alternative airlines and train routes:
Here is everything you need to know about alternative airlines and train routes:
Cruise lines have been badly affected by the coronavirus outbreak, and some have been more understanding of travellers' disinclination to travel.
Cruise firm Silversea Cruises has relaxed its booking and cancellation policies, meaning travellers who make new bookings departing between 1 June and 31 December will be able to cancel 30 days prior to the sailing for a small fee.
