Source: United
United and JetBlue have become the first airlines in the US to cut back on domestic flights due to coronavirus fears causing a sharp drop in demand.
According to CNN, airlines around the world have been making cuts in international flights, but these are the first set of cuts made to a US flight schedule.
CNN reports United will decrease flights in the US and Canada by 10 percent and overseas flights by a total of 20 percent in April. The airline is looking at similar domestic and international cuts in May.
JetBlue similarly announced cuts in their domestic flights with a plan to reduce routes by an initial 5 percent “in the near term.”
“We are closely monitoring booking trends to assess whether additional capacity reductions will be required,” JetBlue said in a statement.
As for other airlines cutting back on domestic flights, a company spokesperson for American Airlines told CNN, “We are continuing to closely monitor the situation and will make any updates as necessary.”