American Airlines has announced another round of big route cuts as COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, continues to spread.
Those cuts include international flights between Charlotte Douglas International Airport and London Heathrow Airport. Other U.S. airports will suspend flights to Dublin and Manchester.
The last flights to London Heathrow from CLT will depart on Sunday, and the last returning flights from London to CLT will depart Monday, according to a statement from the airline. No flights from Raleigh–Durham International Airport were on the list of announced cuts late Saturday.
The flight suspensions will last through May 6. The airline is reducing its international capacity by 75% from March 16 to May 6 compared to last year, according to American.
The airline will continue to operate one flight a day from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to London Heathrow, one flight a day from Miami to London Heathrow and three flights a week from Dallas-Fort Worth to Tokyo.
Domestic flights will be cut, too. The airline said it expects domestic capacity to be cut by 20% in April, and by 30% in May, compared to last year.
American did not announce which domestic routes might be cut.
Some short-haul international flights will go on as scheduled, including flights to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and certain parts of South America.
Flights impacted by travel ban
The flight cuts, announced late Saturday, are the latest round of deep cuts as American deals with reduced travel demand.
On Thursday, the airline suspended flights between Charlotte and German cities Frankfurt and Munich following President Donald Trump’s newly announced travel ban.
Trump announced on Wednesday he will impose a 30-day ban on most Europeans entering the U.S., and Americans trying to return home from 26 European countries will be subject to “enhanced” health screening in the wake of the continued spread of the new coronavirus, the Associated Press reported.
Charlotte Douglas is not on the list of approved entry airports for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents returning from Europe, American said.
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