NEW DELHI: Private carrier Vistara on Wednesday announced cancellation of as many as 54 flights to Bangkok and Singapore in March, in view of a fall in demand due to the coronavirus outbreak in China. Vistara would be cancelling 20 flights between Delhi and Bangkok, 26 flights between Mumbai and Singapore, and eight flights between Delhi and Singapore next month.
The airline, which is a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines said that customers booked on any of the cancelled flights can either opt for a full refund (no cancellation fee) or change to alternative dates free of cost. “Vistara will continue to monitor the situation and progressively evaluate the need for any further adjustments to its schedule to meet the changing demand patterns,” it said.
Earlier, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had estimated that airlines operating in the Asia-Pacific region will have a 13 per cent full-year loss of passenger demand because of the outbreak that has claimed over 2,700 lives so far. The fall, according to IATA, would translate into a $27.8 billion revenue loss in 2020 for carriers in the region.The coronavirus has already forced many airlines, including Indian carriers, to cancel their overseas flights. Earlier this month, IndiGo and Air India had extended their suspension of all flights to China for next three months. IndiGo has suspended flights till June 14 and Air India till June 30. According to a recent CARE Ratings estimate, the temporary suspension of flights to China and Hong Kong can approximately lead to an Indian carrier missing out on earning gross revenue of `55-72 lakh per flight.