British Airways has suspended all direct flights to and from mainland China amid the spread of the new coronavirus that has been first detected in the city of Wuhan earlier this month.
"We have suspended all flights to and from mainland China with immediate effect, following advice from the (UK) Foreign Office against all but essential travel", BA said in a statement quoted by AFP.
The airline's website currently only offers indirect flights with layovers for January and February, while all direct flights are unavailable for purchase.
Meanwhile, the UK will quarantine British citizens evacuated from Wuhan for two weeks.
The previously unknown type of the virus was first detected in China's city of Wuhan in late December but later spread to other major cities. As of Wednesday morning, over 6,000 verified cases of the virus, and 132 related deaths have been confirmed in China, according to the country's National Health Commission. Apart from China, at least 15 other countries have reported cases of the virus.