(Update, March 22): United on Saturday night announced it was pulling back on some of its planned suspensions, though still reducing its international operations by 90 percent in April. Through May, the carrier will continue flights between Newark and each Frankfurt, London and Tel Aviv; between Houston and São Paulo; and between San Francisco and both Tokyo Narita and Sydney. In addition, United has reinstated a few routes until March 27: between Newark and each Amsterdam, Munich, Brussels and São Paulo; between Washington Dulles and London; and between San Francisco and Frankfurt. United also has reinstated service between San Francisco and Seoul through March 29.
(Original report): United Airlines over the next week will suspend nearly all remaining international operations, reducing its international schedule for April by 95 percent.
Transatlantic operations will be suspended entirely after United stops service between Cape Town and Newark after March 28. All other remaining transatlantic flights will end after March 25.
United will end most remaining transpacific flights after March 25; service between San Francisco and both Sydney and Tahiti will end after March 28. After that, United will be keeping only some flights to Guam and a portion of its Island Hopper service.
Within the Americas, United will suspend all flights to Canada as of April 1 and remaining flights to Central and South America after March 24. United is maintaining a few daytime flights to some destinations in Mexico.
United said it is working with the U.S. State Department and international governments to find ways to bring back travelers who are trapped following travel restrictions.
In a Friday letter to employees, CEO Oscar Munoz, president Scott Kirby and labor leaders warned that without government support by the end of March, the carrier would have to begin job cuts. "The airline has made a number of drastic cuts over the last several weeks to reduce our costs, including slashing capital spending, freezing hiring, cutting payments to contractors and vendors, eliminating all discretionary spending and even cutting our corporate officers' salary by 50% while reducing Oscar and Scott's salary to zero," according to the letter. "However, as travel demand continues to plummet, even more cost-cutting measures will be required soon to keep our company afloat."
(Editor's note, March 22): The headline on this report was changed to reflect United's Saturday announcement.