Korean Airlines operated a Boeing 747-800 to Auckland. Photo / Getty
Korean Airlines operated a Boeing 747-800 to Auckland. Photo / Getty
Korean Airlines has suspended services between Seoul and Auckland until the end of March.
The airline flew daily during the summer peak but a notice on its website posted overnight says flights have been suspended from today until March 28.
The coronavirus is spreading in South Korea, leading to newtravel restricitions. In China, infection rates are slowing but the impact on air capacity to this country has been dramatic. Last month the number of flights plunged to as few as five a week from 45 per week the month before.
Korean Airlines' move follows that of Air New Zealand, which early last week said it would can its service from Saturday until the end of June.
This week the Government here announced travellers from South Korea would have to self-isolate for 14 days.
Mfat's Safe Travel website advises New Zealanders to avoid non-essential travel to Daegu and Cheongdo due to significant outbreaks of Covid-19 (coronavirus) and associated health risks in these cities.
"For the rest of the country, we advise you to exercise increased caution due to the heightened risk of local transmission of Covid-19 and heightened tensions in the region," the website warns.
South Korea is a developing hotspot for the virus, with figures today showing there were now 5186 cases, of which 30 people have recovered but 28 have died.
Air NZ and now Korean Airlines have suspended flights to Seoul. Photo / Dean Purcell.
Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows of the near 93,000 cases worldwide, more than half - or 48,200 - had recovered. Infection rates have slowed markedly in China and in the epicentre of the outbreak, Hubei province, 36,200 people have recovered.
Korean's Auckland service was operated by the last passenger jumbo jet to this country, a Boeing 747-800 intercontinental aircraft.
Korean Airlines also operated around 20 charter flights to Auckland and Christchurch over the summer.
Efforts to contact the airline were unsuccessful but its website advises passengers to contact the service centre of the travel agency through which flights were booked if they need help. Its withdrawal follows the departure of several mainland Chinese carriers flying to Auckland and Christchurch due to travel restrictions on passengers entering the country.
Over the summer peak there were up to 45 return non-stop flights between China and Auckland (excluding Hong Kong).
China Southern Airlines has scaled back daily Auckland-Guangzhou services but still has three return flights a week. The airline is the biggest of the Chinese carriers in this market but its daily flights to Christchurch have been suspended until the end of the month.
Auckland Airport's manager of aeronautical commercial, Scott Tasker, said the company was working with the Chinese airlines to make their re-entry into the New Zealand market as smooth as possible.
He said continued flights by China Southern, China Eastern and Air China ensured New Zealand residents and citizens were able to still travel and the airlines also provided valuable freight capacity for high-value imports and exports.
Air New Zealand has suspended its daily Shanghai flights as part of an overall 17 per cent decline in capacity into Asia.
China Southern Airlines has cut services back to three times a week. Photo / Greg Bowker
Around the world capacity has plunged, especially in China where there were 80 per cent fewer seats available in February. During the past week there has been some recovery of domestic capacity but it is too early to know how many of those seats were filled.
CAPA Centre of Aviation says Japan's international seat numbers were down more than 20 per cent in February compared to the same month last year.
To February 24, capacity out of South Korea was also down 20 per cent. That is likely to have fallen further since as the outbreak there intensified.
Many airlines have suspended services to Italy and Iran and weakening demand due to concern over the coronavirus starting to hit other markets.
