Delta to be the first US airline to resume flights to China

US carrier Delta Air Lines will be the first airline out of the country to conduct commercial flights to China since the provisional service suspension back in February in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The airline will resume flights between Seattle and Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport via Seoul, South Korea’s Incheon International Airport beginning Thursday, June 25. Then, from July onward, it will conduct flights once a week from Seattle and Detroit, also through Incheon.

Tickets are available for booking and purchase through all of the regular channels, including the Delta website, Fly Delta app, and travel agencies, both on and offline.

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“We are excited to resume our services between the US and China, as economic and social activities start to recover,” Wong Hong, president of Delta for Greater China and Singapore, said in a press release. “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.”

To that end, Delta is consistently updating its health and safety measures and procedures by improving its “new standard of care,” which was created based on advice from medical experts as well as customer feedback.

The carrier has also instituted a new initiative called the “Global Cleanliness Division” that is devoted to “innovating and evolving its already-high cleanliness standards.”

Delta has implemented a variety of protocols to ensure the health and wellbeing of passengers and crew both on and off the ground.

Such practices include installing HEPA air filters to circulate the air in the cabin, adjusting its boarding practice so that passengers board from the back of the plane to the front to reduce the necessity of passengers having to pass by one another. It is also ensuring that passengers can appropriately distance from each other by blocking the sale of middle seats and capping seating capacity for all flights.

As well, it is mandatory for passengers and crew to wear facial coverings at all points during travel, beginning at check-in and continuing through boarding areas and for the duration of their flight.

For more information regarding Delta Air Lines schedules as well as their comprehensive cleaning and safety processes, visit the airline’s website.