CHICAGO/SHANGHAI/SEOUL - Airlines including United Airlines Holdings Inc said they were cancelling some flights to China as demand fell sharply and global companies told their employees not to travel on deepening fears over the spread of a flu-like virus.
The United States warned that Americans should reconsider visiting China, while Britain advised against all but essential travel to mainland China. South Korea also advised its citizens to stay away. Europe's biggest bank, HSBC, banned all staff travel to Chinese-ruled Hong Kong for two weeks and to mainland China until further notice, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.
South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix Inc said it was urging employees to avoid all non-essential travel to China, while banking group Standard Chartered restricted travel to both mainland China and Hong Kong. Asian Insider: Ground Zero Wuhan - China battles to contain new coronavirus | The Straits Times FALLING TRAVEL DEMAND Aside from United, other airlines said they were adjusting schedules as companies reassessed the risk of travel to China.