Emirates, Etihad Airways` Flights to China to Be Stopped

Emirates and Etihad Airways will have to suspend flights to mainland China, with the exception of Beijing, from Wednesday after most flights between the two countries were suspended by the United Arab Emirates because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The suspension, effective February 5, cuts off most of the UAE's air connections with the world's second-biggest economy, and one of its largest trading partners.

Dubai's Emirates is one of the largest long-haul airlines in the world and flies to Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai, China's mainland cities. Etihad Airways of Abu Dhabi fly to Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu.

The UAE is a major transit point internationally used to link Asia and Europe, Africa and South America.

The suspension, to be imposed until further notice, is not applicable to Hong Kong, controlled by the Chinese, according to the UAE civil aviation regulator.

Many Chinese carriers that travel to the UAE will also be forced to suspend flights.

As the death toll from the virus increases, China faces mounting isolation from international travel curbs and flight suspensions.

The UAE has close political and economic ties with China and has publicly supported Chinese efforts to control the virus that killed 361 people in China and infected over 17,000 people.

Five cases of the latest rapidly spreading virus in the UAE have been confirmed by health officials, all diagnosed in visiting Chinese citizens.

Other Gulf states, including Qatar and Oman, have suspended flights to and from China;