China Eastern Airlines will reduce or suspend flights on 11 European and North American routes, apparently in response to further falls in demand amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region are making deeper capacity cuts and grounding more aircraft in response to tighter travel restrictions.

Deep schedule cuts at partner United Airlines have forced U.S. regional carrier Trans States to speed up its planned cessation to Apr. 1, the airline’s top executive told employees. 

The European Commission has said airlines do not have to pay compensation for flights canceled because of travel restrictions put in place to slow the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak as they constitute “extraordinary circumstances.” 

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has notified Congress that the Pentagon will provide federal health officials with 5 million respirator masks and 2,000 specialized ventilators to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Malaysia Airlines Berhad CEO Izham Ismail has said the hasty and unilateral decision to enforce a nationwide lockdown of Malaysia resulted in severe disruption to the flag carrier’s operations.

Following increased government travel restrictions and a massive drop in demand related to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, Brussels Airlines, Latvian flag carrier Air Baltic and Italian regional carrier Air Dolomiti have all decided to temporarily suspend operations.

Governments across Europe must coordinate their response to preserve the continent’s single market and its benefits, two airline associations have urged.