Korean Air suspends flights to Washington amid virus fallout

Seoul

Korean Air Lines Co. suspended flights on the Incheon-Washington route Monday due to the impact of the coronavirus.

South Korea's national flag carrier did not provide a time frame when it will lift the temporary suspension, South Korean News Agency (Yonhap) reported.

The move came amid the rising coronavirus death toll and infections in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 22,100 people in the U.S., including 50 in Washington, D.C.

Currently, Korean Air flies from Incheon to only five U.S. cities -- Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta.

Korean Air's other international flights are to Paris, London, Bangkok, Manila, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City, Tokyo and Shenyang.

Korean Air has suspended more than 90 per cent of its flights on international routes as an increasing number of countries close their borders or take further measures against incoming passengers.

South Korean airlines have been struggling with a sharp decline in air travel demand since Jan. 20, when South Korea reported its first case of the coronavirus.

In South Korea, the coronavirus has killed 217 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses. So far, the country has reported a total of 10,537 infected people.