Delta Air Lines announced on Monday that they will resume service to China on June 25, 2020, with weekly flights from Seattle and Detroit to Shanghai-Pudong via Seoul-Incheon. The routes will be serviced by an Airbus A350 with reduced capacity for social distancing.
Today, Delta Air Lines announced that they will become the first U.S. carrier to resume service to China after the suspension of flights last February. Delta will offer twice-weekly service, one flight each from Seattle and Detroit, to Shanghai-Pudong via Seoul-Incheon starting June 25, 2020. The route will be serviced with an Airbus A350 through July and transition to an Airbus A330-900 from August 1, 2020. To provide additional space for guests, Delta has blocked middle seats and reduced capacity on flights. On international flights, Delta One suites have been capped at 75 percent, while Delta Premium Select and Main Cabin have been capped at 60 percent. The carrier has implemented a new standard of care based on expert medical advice and has also launched a ‘Global Cleanliness Division’ dedicated to innovating and evolving their industry-leading cleanliness standards. In Monday’s announcement, Delta’s President, Greater China and Singapore, Wong Hong said,
“We are excited to resume 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.”
Some of Delta’s health and safety measures include sanitizing all aircraft before departure with electrostatic spraying and extensive pre-flight disinfection and using state-of-the art HEPA filters on all aircraft which extract over 99.9 percent of airborne particulates, including viruses. The carrier has also adjusted their boarding process to “back to front” and streamlined onboard food and beverage service to minimize contact and reduce touchpoints. Additionally, all guests are required to wear face coverings throughout their journey, starting with check-in, in Delta Sky Clubs, at boarding gate areas, on jet bridges and onboard aircraft throughout the flight (except during meal service). Hand sanitizer is also available at check-in counters as well as boarding areas and complimentary face masks are available upon request.
Source: Delta Air Lines