The World Health Organization's assistant director-general for emergency operations is urging airlines to lift most of their restrictions on flying to Ebola-hit nations because a predictable "air link" is needed to help deal with the crisis, according to The Associated Press.
Dr. Bruce Aylward said Thursday "there is a super risk of the response effort being choked off" if airlines restrict flights to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, the AP reported.
Air France announced on Wednesday its temporarily halting of flights to Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, at the behest of the French government. The airline is still flying to Conakry, the capital of Guinea, according to the AP.
British Airways initially suspended flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone until the end of August, citing the "deteriorating" health situation there and the need to ensure safety of clients, crew and ground teams, the AP reported.
The airline has since said that flights to those countries are suspended for the rest of the year, according to the AP.
Kenya Airways has suspended flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone and Emirates, the Mideast's largest airline, has halted flights to Guinea until further notice, the AP reported.
Gambia Bird, the flag carrier of the West African nation of Gambia, has stopped flights to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria, according to the AP.
Air Côte d'Ivoire, Arik Air of Nigeria, Togo's ASKY Airlines and Air Senegal have all suspended flights to Guinea, the AP reported. Eagle Airlines of Ghana has suspended flights to Liberia.
Brussels Airlines and Royal Air Maroc of Morocco are still flying to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, according to the AP.
