Delta, American airlines suspend several flights over coronavirus

Delta Airlines and American Airlines are temporarily suspending some flights between US airports and Milan because of the spread of the novel coronavirus in parts of Italy, the two carriers announced.

Delta is suspending flights between New York’s busy John F. Kennedy International Airport and Milan Malpensa, the largest airport in northern Italy and a major hub for Alitalia, the airline said in a statement Sunday.

Delta’s last New York-to-Milan flight took off Monday, while the last flight in the opposite direction is scheduled for Tuesday. Service is set to resume on May 1 or 2.

Delta added that flights between Rome and Atlanta were not affected.

American Airlines said late Saturday that it was suspending service between New York and Milan as well as between Miami and Milan until April 25, citing a “reduction in demand.”

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Both airlines said passengers will have a choice of rebooking on a later flight or being reimbursed.

US authorities on Saturday asked Americans not to travel to the areas in Italy and South Korea hardest-hit by the virus.

Both Delta and American, as well as the third big US carrier, United Airlines, had previously reduced or suspended service to China, where the epidemic broke out in late December, as well as to several other Asian countries.

As of Sunday at 17h00 GMT, the number of cases of coronavirus in the world stood at 88,257, including 2,996 deaths, in 66 countries and territories, according to a tally compiled by AFP from official sources.

Italy has reported 1,694 cases and 34 deaths. The biggest cluster of cases is in the Lombardy region in the country’s north.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.