RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Aiming to contain the spread of the new Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, Latam, one of Brazil’s leading airlines, said it will temporarily suspend flights between São Paulo and Milan.
In addition to attempting to contain the spread of the disease, the decision was made due to low demand for flights to Italy.
Italy is the country outside Asia with the highest number of confirmed cases of the disease so far. The latest assessment shows that more than 1,700 people have been infected in the country.
Initially, the measure will suspend flights from Monday, March 2nd, until April 16th. The suspension of the Guarulhos (GRU)-Milan (MXP) flight will be immediate, while the opposite route will be suspended as of Tuesday, March 3rd.
The measure is temporary, as the company expects that “the situation will normalize as soon as possible for the well-being and health of all its passengers and crew”. However, when asked whether the suspension could be extended if the spread of the disease failed to stabilize, Latam commented that this case is still under review.
The company also reported that the role of monitoring the health of passengers who traveled the route and came into Brazil is the responsibility of the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) and the Ministry of Health and that Latam is working to assist these bodies with any demand.
“We are watching this global public health contingency situation and the company’s decision is based primarily on the spread of the virus in Italy, as well as the current drop in demand for the route,” explains Jerome Cadier, Latam’s CEO.
The executive further stresses that Latam is committed to customers affected by this restriction and that the company will assist any passengers who feel affected by the suspension.
Latam stated that passengers affected by the decision will be allowed to reschedule their flights at no additional cost. The company also allows customers to be fully reimbursed for their tickets should they discontinue their flight. Passengers may also reschedule their departure or destination flights with no penalty, subject only to a fare difference for the tickets in question.
For passengers in Milan with a round-trip ticket to Brazil and wishing to return to the country, the company undertakes to ensure their return through Latam flights or partner airlines operating this route.