WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - Representatives from some of the nation's top airlines met with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (March 4), saying they have stepped up their cleaning and other procedures amid concerns about the coronavirus.

Executives from Southwest Airlines, United Airlines Holdings, American Airlines Group and JetBlue Airways, among others, attended the meeting at the White House with Trump, Vice-President Mike Pence and other top US officials.

Trump said the airlines would be hit from a fall in overseas travel related to the virus.

"It's affecting the airline business, as it would. And a lot of people are staying in our country and they're shopping and using our hotels in this country, so from that standpoint I think probably there's a positive impact, but there's also an impact on overseas travel which will be fairly substantial," Trump said.

He said the executives had not asked for financial assistance to make up for the hit to their businesses.

The airline executives said the industry was taking measures to intensify aircraft sanitation.

"We've stepped up our efforts to make sure the airplanes are clean and disinfected," said Southwest Airlines chief executive Gary Kelly.

"All of us have made a lot of changes to our cleaning procedures, changes to our on board procedures, to gloves, sanitation," said Alaska Air Group chief executive Brad Tilden.

United Airlines chief executive Oscar Munoz said his airline had promoted fist bumps as a way of greeting each other to reduce hand-to-hand contacts.

American Airlines chief executive Doug Parker said American had offered flexibility to passengers who wanted to change their travel plans because of the disease.