The Allied Pilots Association (APA) has sued American Airlines to halt its US-China flights amidst health threats from the coronavirus outbreak.
The pilots union filed a case with a Dallas County court for a temporary and immediate restraining order halting the flights between the US and China as the coronavirus outbreak intensifies.
In a statement, APA President Capt. Eric Ferguson said: "The safety and well-being of our crews and passengers must always be our highest priority — first, last, and always."
He mentioned: "Numerous other major carriers that serve China, including British Airways, Air Canada, and Lufthansa, have chosen to suspend service to that country out of an abundance of caution."
The new coronavirus, also known as 2019-nCoV, is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China, and spread into more than a dozen nations globally. There are 83 confirmed cases outside China, including at least five in the US.
In response to the outbreak, several countries are now flying their citizens out of Wuhan. The US and Japan have already retrieved some of their citizens from Wuhan while other nations, including Australia, France, India, and South Korea, are preparing evacuation plans for their citizens in the city.
On Wednesday, American Airlines suspended two routes from Los Angeles to mainland China between February 9 and March 27 due to "significant decline in demand."
However, the pilots argued in the lawsuit that the airline has not taken any action to cancel or suspend flights before February 9 and are calling for immediate action on flights from the company's largest hub, Dallas-Forth Worth.
American Airlines released a statement saying: "We are in close contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and global public health officials to make sure we are taking all necessary precautions for our customers and team members."
The airline added that it will "continue to monitor the situation and make any updates as needed."
