Page 24 - AHATA

A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 13 March 2020
Q&A: New travel ban shakes up airlines, passengers

time industry observer. "This
is new territory.
You have a 9/11-like drop
in demand, but you can't
tell people that you're ab-
solutely safe to fly — you're
not absolutely safe around
any group of people," Ka-
plan said.
WHICH FLIGHTS WILL BE AF-
FECTED BY THE BAN?
The largest number will
be flights to the U.S. from
Germany and France, fol-
lowed by the Netherlands,
Spain and Switzerland.
Germany's Lufthansa
Group said it will keep fly-
ing to Chicago and the
New York and Washington,
D.C., areas from Frankfurt,
Zurich, Vienna and Brussels
to maintain "at least some
air traffic connections to
the USA."
But it will stop U.S.-bound
flights from Munich, Ge-
neva and Duesseldorf. The
group's subsidiaries include
Lufthansa and Austrian,
People walk by a departures monitor at the Rome Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, Thursday, March 12, 2020. Swiss and Brussels airlines.
Associated Press
The big U.S. carriers to Eu-
By DAVID KOENIG and BEN fore their scheduled U.S. ar- port controls within its bor- skeptical, noting that the rope — United, Delta and
FOX rival would be barred. The ders. virus is now being passed American — were already
Associated Press United Kingdom is not part Trump's executive order through so-called commu- planning to reduce the
Airlines and travelers are of the 26-country Schengen also carves out exemptions nity transmission — among number of flights to Europe
still sorting out the new Area and will be exempted for airline crews, people on people who haven't trav- because of falling demand.
travel ban that President from the ban, along with United Nations business, for- eled overseas or been in Analysts believe they will
Donald Trump announced Ireland, Romania, Croatia, eigners invited by the U.S. contact with someone who now speed up those plans.
late Wednesday that bars Ukraine and several other government to help con- has. Most major airlines are
most foreign visitors coming European states. tain the virus, and anyone Dr. Bruce Aylward, who waiving fees for chang-
to the U.S. from continental Neither Trump nor the whose entry is deemed to led a World Health Orga- ing or canceling a ticket
Europe for 30 days. Homeland Security Depart- be "in the national interest." nization team in China as through April 30.
The ban will affect 7,300 ment explained the reason WHERE CAN AMERICANS the COVID-19 disease was WILL AIRLINES ASK FOR
flights – and more than 2 for leaving out the U.K. A RE-ENTER THE COUNTRY? surging last month, said GOVERNMENT HELP?
million airline seats -- sched- U.S. official who spoke on Like previous bans apply- countries might gain in the Airline officials say they
uled from 26 European na- condition of anonymity to ing to people who have short term by limiting travel haven't asked for assis-
tions to the U.S., according discuss internal delibera- been in China or Iran, they but overall "it doesn't help tance — yet.
to travel data firm Cirium. tions said the U.S. sees the will be funneled to one of to restrict movement." Several top airline CEOs
Airlines are reeling from a biggest threat coming from 11 airports: Atlanta; Dallas- HOW DOES THE OUTBREAK who met with Trump and
drop in travel caused by the European continent, Fort Worth; Detroit; Newark, COMPARE TO PAST CRISES Vice President Mike Pence
the new coronavirus, and not the U.K. — although the New Jersey; Honolulu; Ken- FOR THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY? at the White House last
the ban will add to pressure U.K. has at least 459 con- nedy Airport in New York; The combination of the week emphasized that
on carriers, said Alexandre firmed coronavirus cases Los Angeles International; drop in demand, wide- they were not seeking a
de Juniac, CEO of the Inter- and eight deaths. Chicago O'Hare; Seattle; spread and growing re- bailout like the one the in-
national Air Transport Asso- The ban doesn't apply to San Francisco; and Dulles strictions on travel, and un- dustry got after the 2001
ciation trade group. American citizens returning International outside Wash- certainty over how long it terror attacks.
"We have already seen from abroad, at least for ington, D.C. will last is unprecedented, After a decade of heady
Flybe go under," he said, now. It also doesn't cover WILL THE BAN PROTECT even by the U.S. travel in- profits, U.S. airlines have
referring to a British airline foreigners who are law- AMERICANS? dustry's decline after the never been stronger finan-
that shut down last week. ful permanent residents of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the 2001 terror attacks and the cially.
"And this latest blow could the U.S., or the spouses or the National Institutes of brief but sharp downturn However, the longer the vi-
push others in the same di- children of American citi- Health's top official on in- in global travel during the rus disrupts travel, the more
rection." zens and foreign children fectious diseases, said SARS outbreak in Asia in likely a bailout becomes.
Here are some frequent being adopted by Ameri- Thursday that 70% of new 2002. Some airlines are lining up
questions about the travel cans. The official said there infections can be traced to Security measures after more credit from banks to
ban and its repercussions: are no plans to expand the Europe. "It was pretty com- 9/11 made the few pas- preserve liquidity. They are
WHO IS COVERED BY THE order to include American pelling that we needed sengers who kept flying slashing capital spending.
NEW TRAVEL BAN? citizens or lawful perma- to turn off the source from feel safe, and they sensed They could cancel or de-
Most foreign citizens who nent residents who have that region," he told a con- things would get better, fer aircraft orders, although
have been in continental been to Schengen coun- gressional panel. said Seth Kaplan, a trans- none have announced
Europe in the 14 days be- tries, which have no pass- Other medical experts are portation analyst and long- such moves.q