Delta to re-start flights from U.S. to China on June 25
A Delta 767 400 passenger jet with landing gear down in preparation to land. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Delta Air Lines will resume flights between the U.S. and China on June 25, operating twice per week between Seattle and Shanghai-Pudong via Seoul-Incheon. Starting in July, Delta will fly once per week from Seattle and Detroit to Shanghai also via Incheon.
Delta is the first U.S. airline to resume U.S. to China routes since flights were stopped in February due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that U.S. airlines have been approved to fly four weekly flights to China, easing a standoff on travel restrictions in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ MORE: U.S., China to allow 4 weekly flights
Delta requires all travelers to wear face masks for travel, starting with check-in. Face coverings are required in Delta Sky Clubs, boarding gate areas, jet bridges and during the flights, except during meal service. Use is encouraged in security lines and restrooms.
Other safety measures Delta has instituted include:
- Sanitizing all aircraft with electrostatic spraying before departure and pre-flight disinfection of high-touch points.
- Use of air circulation systems with HEPA filters.
- Boarding flights back-to-front, reducing the need for passengers 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.
- Blocking middle seats and reducing the number of passengers on each flight. For international flights, Delta is capping seating at 75 percent in Delta One suite and 60 percent in Delta Premium Select and Main Cabin.