Coronavirus travel news: Flights cancelled as Flybe collapses
Thousands of flights around the world have been cancelled as coronavirus outbreak continues to spread
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Your support makes all the difference.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.
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".
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.
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:
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.
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