All flights out of Wuhan Tianhe International Airport cancelled

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) ordered carriers to cancel all flights departing from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, after the coronavirus outbreak in the city.

Most inbound flights were also cancelled, although there were reports of some flights being made to transport medical supplies to Wuhan.

According to industry sources who spoke to Air Cargo World, this could prove quite disruptive to the logistics chain as airlines tend to fly around the world in a loop. Wuhan airport is the busiest airport in central China and offers many continental and intercontinental connections.

The entire Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, has been quarantined in an attempt to stop the virus from spreading, with all transport in and out of the city suspended. The estimated total population of all the cities under quarantine is 41.5 million.

Hubei Airport Group, owner of the Wuhan airport, have taken measures to disinfect and sterilise airport facilities, as well as monitoring passengers and airport personnel.

Source: Air Cargo World

Header image: Bruce Hong