Pilots, flight attendants demand flights to China stop as virus fear mount worldwide

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Pilots, flight attendants demand flights to China stop as virus fear mount worldwide

By Tracy Rucinski and Laurence Frost

 

FILE PHOTO: An American Airlines Airbus A321 plane takes off from Los Angeles International airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, U.S. March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake

 

CHICAGO/PARIS (Reuters) - Pilots and flight attendants are demanding airlines stop flights to China as health officials declare a global emergency over the rapidly spreading coronavirus, with American Airlines' pilots filing a lawsuit seeking an immediate halt.

 

China has reported nearly 10,000 cases and 213 deaths, but the virus has spread to 18 countries often by plane passengers.

 

The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents American Airlines pilots, cited "serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by the coronavirus" in a lawsuit filed in Texas, where the airline is based.

 

American said it was taking precautions against the virus but had no immediate comment on the lawsuit. On Wednesday it announced flight cancellations from Los Angeles to Beijing and Shanghai starting next month, but is continuing flights from Dallas.

 

APA President Eric Ferguson urged pilots assigned to U.S.-China flights to decline the assignment. In a statement, the American Airlines' flight attendants union said they supported the pilots' lawsuit and called on the company and the U.S. government to "err on the side of caution and halt all flights to and from China."

 

Pilots at United Airlines, the largest U.S. airline to China, concerned for their safety will be allowed to drop their trip without pay, according to a Wednesday memo from their union to members.

 

United announced on Thursday another 332 U.S.-China flight cancellations between February and March 28, though it will continue operating roundtrip flights from San Francisco to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

 

The American Airlines pilot lawsuit came as an increasing number of airlines stopped their flights to mainland China, including Air France KLM SA, British Airways, Germany's Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic.

 

Other major carriers have kept flying to China, but protective masks and shorter layovers designed to reduce exposure have done little to reassure crews.

 

A U.S. flight attendant who recently landed from one major Chinese city said a big concern is catching the virus and spreading it to families, or getting quarantined while on a layover."I didn't understand the gravity of the situation until I went there," she said on condition of anonymity, describing general paranoia on the return flight, with every passenger wearing a mask. "Now I feel like I'm on a 14-day countdown."

 

Thai Airways is hosing its cabins with disinfectant spray between China flights and allowing crew to wear masks and gloves.

 

Delta Air Lines is also operating fewer flights and offering food deliveries so crew can stay in their hotels.

 

Korean Air Lines Co Ltd and Singapore Airlines are sending additional crew to fly each plane straight back, avoiding overnight stays.

 

The South Korean carrier also said it was loading hazmat suits for flight attendants who might need to take care of suspected coronavirus cases in the air.

 

Airlines in Asia are seeing a big drop in bookings along with forced cancellations because of the coronavirus outbreak, the head of aircraft lessor Avolon Holdings Ltd said, adding the impact could last for some months.

 

The outbreak poses the biggest epidemic threat to the airline industry since the 2003 SARS crisis, which led to a 45% plunge in passenger demand in Asia at its peak in April of that year, analysts said.

 

Air France, which maintained China flights throughout the SARS epidemic, suspended its Beijing and Shanghai flights on Thursday after cabin crews demanded an immediate halt.

 

"When the staff see that other airlines have stopped flying there, their reaction is 'Why are we still going?'," said Flore Arrighi, president of UNAC, one of the airline's four main flight attendants' unions.

 

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski, Laurence Frost and David Shepardson; Additional reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal, Aradhana Aravindan, John Geddie and Anshuman Daga in Singapore, Chayut Setboonsarng and Panu Wongcha-um in Bangkok, Caroline Pailliez in Paris, Josephine Mason in London, Jamie Freed in Sydney and Joyce Lee in Seoul; Writing by Jamie Freed and Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-31

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[RichardColeman]

Well, hopefully the UK EVA flights will go down in price not cancelled

[Katipo]

Any airline that is forcing their front line staff to still fly to China at this time are irresponsible and callous. Airplanes are flying incubators.

[spidermike007]

The Chicoms were already facing some major issues. Maybe this will make their lives even harder. Major fractures in Chinese society at the moment. The more pressure on that heinous government, the better. 

[Ireland32]

Close the Damn Airport Thailand 

[neeray]

China ...... Manufacturing plant of the world. Toys, tools, electronics, apparel, viruses.

[Isaan sailor]

I fly JAL through Narita en route to USA—never connect in China.  And now back in States—will wait to see what Wuhan virus does, before I fly back to those Chinese crowds at BKK.

[neeray]

2 hours ago, Conno said:

Not fear mongering, just not sure at this point if we can believe the statistics coming from official sources within China.

Don't believe the statistics!

Chinese have no problem with looking you straight in the eye and telling a bold faced porkie.

But then same for Japanese where I experienced it first hand on a business trip.

And same for a former gf in Thailand, and speaking of Thailand, same for all government and politicians.

With all that said, DTA (Don't Trust Anybody) as it relates to this Chinese virus.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Looks like American Airlines, United and Delta Airlines have relented, dropping all U.S.-China flights.

 

https://apnews.com/7a165f73821fdd44e321a38be005886c?

 

Quote

 

NEW YORK (AP) — Delta, American and United said Friday they will suspend all flights between the U.S. and mainland China, following the lead of several major international carriers that have stopped flying to China as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread.

American and United said they will keep flying to Hong Kong.
 

American announced that it would stop flying to mainland China starting Friday and running through March 27.

 

 

Edited February 1, 2020 by metisdead
Edited as per fair use policy.

[DrTuner]

Ah, there's a business oppportunity then, a China based airline called SARS Airways.

[TheDark]

18 hours ago, Conno said:

I actually don't know what to believe with this one but my gut instincts are telling me something doesn't feel quite right about this situation. These days we have so much information it is very difficult to tell fact from fiction, genuine news from fake. Just watched this video from a day or two ago which is rather disturbing and consists of a compilation of clips allegedly leaked out of ground zero in and around Wuhan. If these are accurate videos of what is truly going on over there this isn't your average flu type virus. I agree travel out of China should be stopped immediately until we all have a better understanding of what it is we are dealing with. Not fear mongering, just not sure at this point if we can believe the statistics coming from official sources within China.

 

Advise stopping the video at the 13:00 timestamp........only posted it for the points highlighted in the first 13 minutes, after that it turns into a bit of a God rant ????

Isn't it funny how all the disinformation campaigns over the past years, which were so funny to spread for those who were against western values and ability to gain real information, are no longer so much fun, when there is a 'frightening threat to our own lives'?

 

Wasn't it a wonderful idea to spread distrust to the medias, who do a lot of work to resource what they say is true?

 

Now all of the sudden, we no longer have nobody to trust anymore! Trust to Mainstream Media has been destroyed. 

 

It's time to pay the price of those disinformation campaigns, which at the time sounded like a fun idea to do. Perhaps not yet, during this WuFlu, but be certain, that time will come.

 

Enjoy reading your fear mongering websites. Panic and perhaps die.

[URMySunshine]

I had a heads up on this a few days back from a friend of a friend on the FCO pullout which I mentioned in a thread  now confirmed , and coupled with  this fresh news I can only conclude things are bad. If it was just flu ++ surely we would be going to a lower scale on actions by now ?

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/feb/01/coronavirus-latest-updates-us-ban-china-death-toll-hits-259-live-news

 

New restrictions on the second worst-hit city in China. In Huanggang, only one family member per household will be allowed to go out every two days to get supplies, necessities. 

 

Foreign Office pulls staff out of China

The Foreign Office is withdrawing staff from China hours after flying dozens of UK nationals home from coronavirus-hit Wuhan, PA Media reports

 

Edited February 1, 2020 by URMySunshine

[DrTuner]

7 minutes ago, TheDark said:

Now all of the sudden, we no longer have nobody to trust anymore! Trust to Mainstream Media has been destroyed. 

As long as large scale media broadcasting has existed, it has been used as a propaganda tool. It's never been wise to blindly trust any media. Verify everything from multiple sources and use your own brain instead of giving the control to some puppet master. Trust is for the lazy.

[URMySunshine]

Just now, DrTuner said:

As long as large scale media broadcasting has existed, it has been used as a propaganda tool. It's never been wise to blindly trust any media. Verify everything from multiple sources and use your own brain instead of giving the control to some puppet master. Trust is for the lazy.

I see you have kept the faith Dr Tuner whilst I am flip flopping but I did a few days ago use the buying window for gels , masks and alcohol to be called mad by the missus who now sees the wisdom in my actions. 

[DrTuner]

8 minutes ago, URMySunshine said:

I see you have kept the faith Dr Tuner whilst I am flip flopping but I did a few days ago use the buying window for gels , masks and alcohol to be called mad by the missus who now sees the wisdom in my actions. 

No harm in buying them, even if not used now, they are also usable in everyday life. I actually had lots of the stuff already because I do a lot of DIY.

 

Also good for brownie points: Sister-in-law just sheepishly asked if she can have one N95 mask. Works at an office where the clientele has lots of Chinese. 

Edited February 1, 2020 by DrTuner

[metisdead]

A post containing a video from an unapproved YouTube source has been removed.

 

A post containing a photo from an unknown source has been removed. 

[URMySunshine]

1 hour ago, DrTuner said:

No harm in buying them, even if not used now, they are also usable in everyday life. I actually had lots of the stuff already because I do a lot of DIY.

 

Also good for brownie points: Sister-in-law just sheepishly asked if she can have one N95 mask. Works at an office where the clientele has lots of Chinese. 

My current top tip is 70% alcohol - the blue stuff in bottles - just got 450 ml for 55 baht from a chemist in Jomtien - seems to be loads of the stuff. Will last forever useful for many things and very good for sanitising the hands. Seems to be out for antiseptic hand gel in most places now. You could decant it into a small spray bottle to carry around with you for hand cleansing on the go. 

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/rubbing-alcohol-uses

[DrTuner]

3 minutes ago, URMySunshine said:

My current top tip is 70% alcohol - the blue stuff in bottles - just got 450 ml for 55 baht from a chemist in Jomtien - seems to be loads of the stuff. Will last forever useful for many things and very good for sanitising the hands. Seems to be out for antiseptic hand gel in most places now. You could decant it into a small spray bottle to carry around with you for hand cleansing on the go. 

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/rubbing-alcohol-uses

Yup, bought a four bottle set from lazada cheaply. Wife happens to have a large jar of aloe so I'll mix some of that in, should last years.

[tifino]

 time for WD40 to step up again, to save the day 

[URMySunshine]

11 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Yup, bought a four bottle set from lazada cheaply. Wife happens to have a large jar of aloe so I'll mix some of that in, should last years.

Blimey we should go into business together flogging 20 ml bottles for 10 baht 3 for 20 ! I should add I have a honours degree in microbiology and 5 years in the pharma industry so I know a bit of viral routes of transmission and how to try to maintain a clean environment. I call that filthy rag of a towel that graces most bathrooms here THE TOWEL OF DOOM and under no circumstances EVER TOUCH IT. 

[URMySunshine]

16 minutes ago, tifino said:

 time for WD40 to step up again, to save the day 

That got me laughing out loud ! TV shopping channels could do a roaring trade in scam products. Cometh the hour cometh the baht.

[AlexRich]

When the flight to the UK with British and Europeans citizens arrived in RAF Brize Norton yesterday I was surprised that none of the bus drivers picking up the passengers were wearing masks? 

 

I think their company were very complacent and negligible in allowing them to drive to Liverpool with those passenger seat on board and no protection.

 

I don’t blame air crew for refusing to fly to China.

[URMySunshine]

Either China is in the grip of an epic paranoid response or we are on the brink of an unprecedented (in modern times) catastrophe. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/01/across-china-cities-turn-into-ghost-towns-as-coronavirus-infects-more-than-10000

 

 

 

Edited February 1, 2020 by URMySunshine

[impulse]

1 hour ago, URMySunshine said:

My current top tip is 70% alcohol - the blue stuff in bottles - just got 450 ml for 55 baht from a chemist in Jomtien - seems to be loads of the stuff.

 

I'd go to a paint shop and buy methanol or ethanol, sold as a paint thinner.  100% strength and no blue dye to stain (and possibly ruin)  whatever you're putting it on.  Also cheaper by volume.

 

Edited February 1, 2020 by impulse

[Scott]

Off-topic video and reply removed. 

 

[metisdead]

A troll post using a trolling representation of Trump's name has been removed. 

[tifino]

14 hours ago, URMySunshine said:

Either China is in the grip of an epic paranoid response or we are on the brink of an unprecedented (in modern times) catastrophe. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/01/across-china-cities-turn-into-ghost-towns-as-coronavirus-infects-more-than-10000

 

 

 

 ... 1919 is still juuuust within 'living history'  but a prime example of what happens when the isolating Distances between peoples of the earth, are able to be drastically shortened (by air travel etc) 

[DrTuner]

14 hours ago, impulse said:

I'd go to a paint shop and buy methanol or ethanol, sold as a paint thinner.  100% strength and no blue dye to stain (and possibly ruin)  whatever you're putting it on.  Also cheaper by volume.

Just remember to add some moisturizer, that stuff dries the skin very fast. Wouldn't want to have any small dry cracks in the skin.

Edited February 2, 2020 by DrTuner

[scorecard]

17 hours ago, URMySunshine said:

That got me laughing out loud ! TV shopping channels could do a roaring trade in scam products. Cometh the hour cometh the baht.

Is WD40 good as an intercourse lubricant?