United announced the cuts shortly after several
airline CEOs met at the White House with
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike
Pence. The administration is seeking the airlines’
help in tracing travelers who might have come
in contact with people ill with COVID-19.
The virus “is affecting the airline business, as it
would,” Trump said after the meeting. “A lot of
people are staying in our country, and they’re
shopping and using our hotels in this country.
So from that standpoint, I think probably there is
a positive impact, but there is also an impact on
overseas travel, which will be fairly substantial.”
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf,
who was also in the meeting, said his agency
has screened more than 53,000 people “and
prevented a number of folks from coming into
the country” largely because of cooperation
from the airlines. He did not elaborate.
Wolf said the administration wants additional
information about travelers so that public-health
agencies can “get in touch with them, looking
for a few more pieces of information and data
from them.”
The airline CEOs said their companies have
stepped up cleaning procedures to help protect
passengers and employees from the virus.
United’s decision to reduce flying came shortly
after Germany’s Lufthansa announced it would
park 150 planes because of falling demand.
Airline bookings have slumped as the outbreak
has spread beyond China to the U.S. and dozens
of other countries. Some large corporations have
banned or limited employee travel, and a few
large business conferences have been canceled.