Photo by Markus Mainka/Shutterstock
Eric L. Martin | Chubby Diaries
On Friday, June 25, Delta Arlines announced that it will resume flights between U.S. and China, becoming the first U.S. airline to re-connect the two countries since temporary suspension in February due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Wong Hong, Delta’s President of Greater China and Singapore division said in a press release, “We are excited to resume our services between the U.S. and China, as economic and social activities start to recover. With a mission to connect the world, Delta is committed to getting our customers to their destinations safely and confidently, especially at this critical time. We are implementing unprecedented health and safety measures and practices, so customers are assured of ease and safety at all points of their journey.”
Delta Air Lines also says it will re-start service between Seattle and Shanghai-Pudong via Seoul-Incheon as of Friday, June 25, operating twice per week. From July and beyond, it will operate once-weekly flights from Seattle and Detroit, also via Incheon.
The airline also includes measures it will take to ensure employees and passengers safety:
Sanitizing all aircraft with electrostatic spraying before departure and extensive pre-flight disinfection of high-touch points throughout the aircraft interior.
- Using state-of-the-art air circulation systems with HEPA filters that extract more than 99.99% of particles, including viruses.
- Adjusting the boarding process to back-to-front, reducing the need for customers to pass one another.
- Streamlining onboard food and beverage service and encouraging customers to pack their own food and non-alcoholic beverages to decrease touchpoints.
- Giving customers and employees more space for safer travel by blocking middle seats, reducing the number of customers on each flight. For international flights, Delta is capping seating at 75% in Delta One suite, and 60% in Delta Premium Select and Main Cabin.
- All customers are required to wear face coverings during travel, starting with check-in and across Delta touch points including Delta Sky Clubs, boarding gate areas, jet bridges and on board the aircraft for the duration of the flight – except during meal service. Complimentary face masks are available on request and hand sanitizer is provided at check-in counters and boarding area.
Delta notes that seat availability may be limited due to the limited operations. You can check for more route information at Delta.com
Eric L. Martin Chubby Diaries Travel Analyst. He writes on the latest Travel News and much more.
