Following Demand Decline in Japan and Hong Kong, China Also Faces 'Wuhan Pneumonia'... Double Blow to Aviation Industry

T'way Air Postpones Incheon-Wuhan Route Launch... Airport and Airline Implement Quarantine Measures

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] As an unidentified pneumonia (novel coronavirus) centered around the Wuhan (武漢) region in China spreads, tension in the aviation industry is rising. Following the boycott of travel to Japan due to Korea-Japan conflicts and political instability in Hong Kong, even the China routes, which had been a stronghold of the short-distance transportation market, are showing signs of demand contraction.

According to the aviation industry on the 22nd, T'way Air postponed the inaugural flight of the Incheon-Wuhan route, which was scheduled for 10:20 PM the previous day. T'way Air had planned to start operating the Incheon-Wuhan route twice a week (Tuesdays and Saturdays) from the previous day. A T'way Air official explained, "This measure was taken due to growing concerns about the Wuhan pneumonia and the occurrence of confirmed cases domestically," adding, "There is no decision yet on when to resume the route."

◆'Cancellation' on the first day of inaugural flight as a drastic measure = The reason T'way Air took the drastic measure of postponing the flight on the day of the inaugural flight is attributed to the rapid spread of Wuhan pneumonia. According to Chinese health authorities, as of the previous day, the death toll from Wuhan pneumonia reached 6, and confirmed cases rapidly increased to 324. In South Korea, on the 20th, a woman in her 30s from Wuhan, China, was confirmed to have Wuhan pneumonia. Related countries are also strengthening their responses. Singapore decided to conduct fever screenings on all passengers arriving at Changi Airport from all over China. Previously, only passengers from Wuhan were subject to screening, but this has been expanded to the entire country.

The aviation industry cannot hide its embarrassment. After the boycott of travel to Japan and political instability in Hong Kong severely worsened the supply and demand of short-distance routes, even the China routes, which emerged as a "new source of revenue" through last year's allocation of traffic rights, are showing signs of instability. Currently, the airlines operating the Incheon-Wuhan route are Korean Air (4 times a week) and China Southern Airlines (4 times a week). These airlines are currently monitoring the situation without suspending or reducing flights.

◆Airports and airlines take emergency measures = As Wuhan pneumonia spreads, domestic airports and airlines have prepared countermeasures such as strengthening quarantine procedures and disinfection measures. Incheon International Airport Corporation, which is the only one in the country operating direct flights to Wuhan, is operating a dedicated gate for flights from Wuhan and has expanded disinfection and sterilization work in arrival halls and multi-use facilities.

In the case of Korean Air, passengers showing suspicious symptoms undergo temperature checks, and if their temperature exceeds 37.5 degrees Celsius, a checklist is completed to determine whether boarding is allowed. Also, if a suspected patient appears on board, masks will be provided to the passenger and those seated nearby.

Korean Air has also decided to temporarily waive penalties for passengers requesting ticket refunds until the 26th of this month, allow reservation and itinerary changes until the 2nd of next month, and waive reissuance fees once.

◆SARS nightmare creeping back... worsening short-distance adversity = So far, the damage to the industry caused by the Wuhan pneumonia situation is minimal. A Korean Air official stated, "There have been no significant flight cancellations or the like so far."

However, concerns are emerging that if the situation is not contained early, the nightmare of the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak and the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak could be repeated. Especially during the 2003 SARS outbreak, SARS spread uncontrollably centered on China, causing significant damage to the domestic aviation industry.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization, during January to July 2003, when the SARS outbreak occurred, the number of Korean tourists visiting China decreased by 21.0%, and those visiting Hong Kong decreased by 27.2%. At that time, Korean carriers Korean Air and Asiana Airlines temporarily suspended some flights. Conversely, during the MERS outbreak in 2015, when the government failed in early response, inbound foreign visitors sharply declined. In June, when the spread intensified, it decreased by 41.0%, and even in July, when the situation was resolving, it decreased by 53.5%.

Professor Lee Hwi-young of Inha Technical College said, "Since it is still the early stage, it is necessary to observe whether early containment is achieved," but added, "If related countries fail to contain the situation early, demand contraction could spread throughout China or to neighboring countries, and since consumers have already experienced the 2003 SARS outbreak, the impact on outbound demand could be greater and appear more rapidly than then."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.