Delta and American Airlines will temporarily suspend flights between Milan, Italy and John F. Kennedy International Airport amid concerns about the novel coronavirus.
Delta on Sunday said it would suspend its daily flight between JFK Airport and Milan Malpensa Airport until the beginning of May.
“Delta’s last east-bound flight from JFK to Milan will depart on Monday, March 2, and the last west-bound flight from Milan to JFK will depart on Tuesday, March 3,” the airline said in a statement. “Service to and from Milan will resume starting on May 1 and May 2, respectively.”
American Airlines, meanwhile, announced it would suspend operations between Milan and JFK Airport until April 25, starting after 5 p.m. on March 2.
Both airlines said they would provide customers affected by the suspensions with options including rebooking or getting a refund.
The airlines’ announcements came after President Donald Trump approved new restrictions on international travel to prevent the spread within the U.S. of the new virus, which originated in China.
The new U.S. travel restrictions apply to Iran, although travel there by Americans already is severely limited, as well as heavily affected regions of Italy and South Korea.
Trump tweeted Sunday that any travelers from those countries will be screened when they arrive in the U.S.
As of Sunday, the viral outbreak had infected more than 88,000 people globally and caused at least 3,000 deaths worldwide.
Washington State saw the first COVID-19 death in the United States, officials said on Saturday. There were no confirmed cases of the illness in the tri-state area as of Sunday afternoon.
