Cathay Pacific Airways has suspended flights to Malaysia after the government decided to impose travel restrictions o­n visitors from Hong Kong to contain the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars), the airline said today.

Hong Kong's flag carrier said it is suspending all scheduled flights to and from Malaysia due to Kuala Lumpur's decision to impose visa restrictions o­n Hong Kong people wishing to visit the country, which "severely affects demand for travel."

"Cathay Pacific is disappointed with the current situation. However, the airline hopes it can restore some or all of its Malaysian flights at the earliest possible opportunity," it said.

The airline had already suspended two flights to Malaysia as a result of the recent downturn in business.

Temporary freeze

Flights to Kuala Lumpur and Penang will be suspended from April 13 until further notice.

Hong Kong security secretary Regina Ip yesterday said Malaysia's decision was "unwarranted and not justified."

Malaysia o­n Wednesday introduced visa requirements for people from Hong Kong and ordered a temporary freeze o­n tourist arrivals from there and mainland China in a bid to block the spread of the virus.

Government officials and business travellers are exempt but o­nly if they can produce a medical declaration that they are free from Sars symptoms.

Malaysia also imposed visa requirements o­n travellers from Canada and Vietnam, both hit by the Sars outbreak.

Cathay chief executive David Turnbull warned in a letter to staff published by in-house magazine CXWorld o­n Tuesday that the 23 percent cut in flights starting this week by the airline was o­nly the beginning.

"I suspect this will rise to around a third," he said.

Increasing death toll

The disease , which first broke out in Guangdong, China, has now spread to as many as 32 countries, and is suspected to have infected more than 3,031 people, with the death toll reaching some 112.

Fears over Sars have seen flights into and out of Hong Kong cancelled with the Hong Kong Airport Authority saying that so far o­ne-third of all total scheduled flights for April had been cancelled. AFP