The departure area at Rafik Hariri International Airport is almost empty, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, March 19, 2020. The Lebanese government decided to shut down the airport, ports and borders and ordered its citizens to stay home as the small country of nearly 5 million grappled with containing the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
March 19, 2020
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March 19, 2020 3:38 p.m.
Mideast airlines lose $7B as airports shut to combat virus
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Seven Middle Eastern countries have suspended all commercial flights due to the fast-spreading new coronavirus, as the aviation industry's largest trade association announced Thursday that airlines in the region have already lost more than $7 billion in revenue.