[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Ju Cheol-in] Daegu City announced on the 28th that it is considering temporarily suspending the Daegu-China flight routes amid growing concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) originating from China.
Daegu International Airport operates 36 weekly flights on four routes to China: Shanghai, Weihai, Yanji, and Zhangjiajie.
China Eastern Airlines operates the Shanghai and Weihai routes, domestic airline T'way Air operates the Yanji route, and both T'way Air and China Sichuan Airlines operate the Zhangjiajie route.
The number of Chinese nationals entering Daegu through these four routes was around 2,200 to 2,300 per month, but during the Lunar New Year holiday period (January 24-27), when Wuhan pneumonia spread rapidly, the number decreased by 60-70%.
A Daegu city official said, "Recently, there have been almost no group tourists, so the number of Chinese entrants has significantly decreased," adding, "We are discussing with airlines the possibility of reducing or temporarily suspending the Daegu-China flight routes."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
