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Pilots sue American Ailines to stop China flights
American Airlines’ pilots are pushing the airline to halt all services to China, and are hoping to force the issue with legal action.
The Allied Pilots Association filed a lawsuit in Texas seeking an immediate suspension of all China flights.
It says there are ‘serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by the coronavirus’ for cabin crew as well as customers.
It comes a day after American said it would suspend some but not all flights to China from February.
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have also announced they are cutting flights to China.
Other airlines have halted China services.
"The safety and well-being of our crews and passengers must always be our highest priority — first, last, and always," APA president Capt. Eric Ferguson said.
"Numerous other major carriers that serve China, including British Airways, Air Canada, and Lufthansa, have chosen to suspend service out of an abundance of caution."
The Wuhan coronavirus outbreak has claimed 170 lives and infected about 8,000.
"That level of risk is unacceptable," the union says.
American will suspend flights from Los Angeles between February 9 and March 27, but there has been no plan to halt any flights from its Dallas-Fort Worth hub.
The union says the average age of Dallas-based pilots is 61 years, which presents an unnecessary risk.
The virus is more dangerous to older people and those with pre-existing conditions.
In the meantime the union is asking all American Airline pilots to decline assignments to operate Chine flights.
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