US pilots sue American Airlines to halt flights to China amid Coronavirus outbreak

US Pilots sued American Airlines in Dallas County seeking a temporary restraining order to immediately halt flights to China amidst the novel Coronavirus outbreak. The Allied Pilots Association (APA), in its lawsuit, noted that the American Airlines currently operates approximately 56 monthly flights between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and airports in China. 

Though the airline had announced the suspension of flights between Los Angeles International Airport and China, it will keep ferrying until February 9. APA President Eric Ferguson, in a statement, said that the safety and well-being of their crews and passengers must always be the highest priority. 

“Due to the known and unknown risks associated with travelling to China right now, concurrent with the filing of our lawsuit, we are directing all American Airlines pilots assigned to flights between the United States and China, other than those on return trips to the United States, to decline the assignment,” said Ferguson.

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Global public health emergency

According to media reports, at least 213 people have died due to the mysterious coronavirus with more than 9,600 confirmed cases of the deadly disease. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now declared the new coronavirus outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). 

Read: US Raises Travel Advisory Over Coronavirus; Asks Citizens To Not Travel To China

Human-to-human transmission occurred outside China

After the second meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the committee acknowledged that human-to-human transmission has occurred outside Wuhan and outside China. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated the Chinese government for the ‘extraordinary measures’ it took to contain the virus, despite the severe social and economic impact those measures are having on the Chinese people.

“We don’t know what sort of damage this coronavirus could do if it were to spread in a country with a weaker health system. We must act now to help countries prepare for that possibility," said Ghebreyesus during the press conference after meeting.

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(With Agency inputs)