Israeli flag carrier El Al Airlines expects a $30 million drop in first-quarter revenue stemming from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, but much of that should be offset by lower operating expenses, the company said on Wednesday.
On Jan. 30 El Al suspended flights to Beijing until late March, following the lead of other airlines that stopped or scaled back flights to China as cases of the coronavirus have risen.
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El Al said the revenue loss was mostly from flights to Asia and that it was talking with authorities in Israel and around the world to continuously assess the situation.
Earlier this week the Israeli Health Ministry extended its travel warning to Asia, recommending Israelis avoid traveling to Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan.
In addition, Israel will carry out testing for travelers who return to the country from abroad, the ministry said.
"The Health Ministry sees the public as a key partner in disease prevention, and we can only contend with it together," the ministry said in its statement.
