SARS make Air India cut flights

India's international carrier, Air India, has decided to make more cuts to its flights to Hong Kong because of concerns over Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The move comes as the body representing India's commercial pilots issued directives to its members not to fly on the Bombay-Hong Kong route. However Air India flights will be operated by pilots who are not members of the pilots body. Air India has already reduced the total number of flights from Bombay (Mumbai) to Hong Kong to two per week. It earlier cancelled one flight and two more are to be suspended from 11 April.

Air India says it had to cancel flights due to a sharp decline in the number of passengers travelling on the route. They take precautionary measures like pre-check-in health check of all passengers boarding flights from Hong Kong. Inspite of these measures the Indian Pilots Guild, has issued directives to its members not to operate on the Bombay-Hong Kong sector.