Delta Air Lines will become the first U.S. carrier to re-connect flights between America and China since the coronavirus outbreak in February when it resumes flights on June 25.
The Atlanta-based carrier will begin with service from its western hub in Seattle and Shanghai-Pudong via Seoul-Incheon on June 25, operating twice per week.
From July and beyond, it will operate once-weekly flights from Seattle and Detroit, also via Seoul. The tickets are open for booking on all channels including Delta.com, the Fly Delta app, agencies and online travel agencies.
“We are excited to resume our services between the U.S. and China, as economic and social activities start to recover,” Wong Hong, Delta’s President of Greater China and Singapore, said in a statement. “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 and United Airlines have more or less been held captive by the governments in Washington and Beijing awaiting official word on flying the routes again. The White House had accused the Chinese of blocking American carriers from resuming flights to China; in turn, the U.S. more heavily scrutinized Chinese airlines and threatened to ban all Chinese commercial flights.
The two sides agreed last week to four weekly flights from both countries.
The Shanghai Pudong-Seattle flights will be served with Delta’s A350 aircraft.
