Airline industry healthy enough to absorb significant downturn in China's economy: IAG CEO

[February 05, 2020]  DUBAI (Reuters) - The airline industry is "without question" healthy enough to absorb a significant downturn in China's economy, said Willie Walsh, chief executive of International Airlines Group, which owns British Airways.

Willie Walsh, CEO of International Airlines Group speaks during the closing press briefing at the 2016 International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Dublin, Ireland June 3, 2016. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo

He was speaking at an aviation event in Doha on Wednesday.

Global airlines have suspended or scaled back more direct flights to China's major cities amid an increase in travel warnings and decline in demand from passengers due to a growing outbreak of coronavirus.

(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; Writing by Saeed Azhar)

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