Mandalay – China Eastern Airlines (CEA) announced Friday that its direct flights from the Chinese city of Wuhan to Mandalay have been canceled.
Following the Wuhan lockdown, as China banned travel to Wuhan after the coronavirus outbreak, the airline said it would refund passengers.
China extended travel bans to cities near Wuhan today.
Passengers with CEA and Shanghai Airlines could apply for a free refund for tickets, a CEA statement said.
The Mandalay office said the flight scheduled to land in Mandalay tonight had been canceled.
A flight to Yangon from Wuhan landed on Thursday morning, soon after China imposed its travel restrictions on the city.
The Department of Civil Aviation has reportedly instructed airlines flying from Wuhan and other affected regions to perform checks.
It is unclear how Wuhan tourists stranded in Mandalay will travel home.
An official from Mandalay International Airport said passengers, especially those from China, were being screened with the cooperation of the Ministry of Health.
CEA operates two direct flights between Wuhan and Mandalay per week with a capacity of around 90 passengers and crew.
The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism said more than 370,000 Chinese tourists flew to Mandalay in 2019.
The Chinese authorities said 26 deaths had been reported due to the coronavirus and 177 out of 830 cases were severe.
The disease has reportedly been found in Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Vietnam and the United States.
Numerous students from Myanmar studying in Wuhan are affected by the lockdown.
The Myanmar Embassy in Beijing called on citizens in the country to follow the emergency regulations issued to prevent infection.
It called on students in affected areas to contact the embassy to help coordinate with the Chinese authorities.
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