Delta Air Lines plane.Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesNew COVID-related cleaning requirements at a Shanghai airport are what prompted a recent Shanghai-bound flight from Seattle to turn around mid-air – and a protest from the San Francisco-based Chinese consulate.The unexpected Delta Airlines flight turnaround left many Chinese citizens on board stranded with expired visas andCOVID-19test results, according to the state-runGlobal Times.Delta Airlines did not immediately get back to PEOPLE in a request for comment, although it said in a statement to theAssociated Presson Monday that Shanghai Pudong International Airport has activated new mandates that “require significantly extended ground time and are not operationally viable for Delta.“Though the details of the new aircraft cleaning rules and the reason behind it are unclear, the changes come just as the city of Xi’an – roughly 600 miles outside of Beijing, where the 2022 Winter Olympics are set to kick off in a matter of weeks – is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak. Despite its strict zero-COVID strategy, upwards of 300 new cases were reported in Xi’an over the holiday weekend, adding to the 143 infections the city had already reported since Dec. 9.Furthermore, the Global Times said in a Monday news conference that the Chinese government announced its anticipation of an increase in cases in the coming days, “with possible sporadic flare-ups,” even with the stringent lockdown of 13 million people in Xi’an.Delta isn’t the only airlines reacting to the stricter cleaning protocols. China Airlines and EVA Air – both Taiwan-based airlines – have been forced to cut back on their flights to the Shanghai airport, alluding to the time-consuming disinfection measures, per Taiwan’s Central News Agency.On Sunday, the Chinese consulate in San Francisco acknowledged in a statement that numerous recent flights to China had been canceled or delayed, calling out a flight that turned around halfway to Shanghai.The consulate said it “made a stern representation to the airline.“On Christmas Eve,Delta also announced it would be forced to cut 90 flights, citing both coronavirus and severe weather in some areas of the country.In a statement to PEOPLE on Thursday, a spokeperson said, “Delta teams have exhausted all options and resources — including rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover scheduled flying — before canceling. We apologize to our customers for the delay in their holiday travel plans. Delta people are working hard to get them to where they need to be as quickly and as safely as possible on the next available flight.“As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources fromCDC,WHO, andlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
Delta Air Lines plane.Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images
New COVID-related cleaning requirements at a Shanghai airport are what prompted a recent Shanghai-bound flight from Seattle to turn around mid-air – and a protest from the San Francisco-based Chinese consulate.The unexpected Delta Airlines flight turnaround left many Chinese citizens on board stranded with expired visas andCOVID-19test results, according to the state-runGlobal Times.Delta Airlines did not immediately get back to PEOPLE in a request for comment, although it said in a statement to theAssociated Presson Monday that Shanghai Pudong International Airport has activated new mandates that “require significantly extended ground time and are not operationally viable for Delta.“Though the details of the new aircraft cleaning rules and the reason behind it are unclear, the changes come just as the city of Xi’an – roughly 600 miles outside of Beijing, where the 2022 Winter Olympics are set to kick off in a matter of weeks – is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak. Despite its strict zero-COVID strategy, upwards of 300 new cases were reported in Xi’an over the holiday weekend, adding to the 143 infections the city had already reported since Dec. 9.Furthermore, the Global Times said in a Monday news conference that the Chinese government announced its anticipation of an increase in cases in the coming days, “with possible sporadic flare-ups,” even with the stringent lockdown of 13 million people in Xi’an.Delta isn’t the only airlines reacting to the stricter cleaning protocols. China Airlines and EVA Air – both Taiwan-based airlines – have been forced to cut back on their flights to the Shanghai airport, alluding to the time-consuming disinfection measures, per Taiwan’s Central News Agency.On Sunday, the Chinese consulate in San Francisco acknowledged in a statement that numerous recent flights to China had been canceled or delayed, calling out a flight that turned around halfway to Shanghai.The consulate said it “made a stern representation to the airline.“On Christmas Eve,Delta also announced it would be forced to cut 90 flights, citing both coronavirus and severe weather in some areas of the country.In a statement to PEOPLE on Thursday, a spokeperson said, “Delta teams have exhausted all options and resources — including rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover scheduled flying — before canceling. We apologize to our customers for the delay in their holiday travel plans. Delta people are working hard to get them to where they need to be as quickly and as safely as possible on the next available flight.“As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources fromCDC,WHO, andlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
New COVID-related cleaning requirements at a Shanghai airport are what prompted a recent Shanghai-bound flight from Seattle to turn around mid-air – and a protest from the San Francisco-based Chinese consulate.
The unexpected Delta Airlines flight turnaround left many Chinese citizens on board stranded with expired visas andCOVID-19test results, according to the state-runGlobal Times.
Delta Airlines did not immediately get back to PEOPLE in a request for comment, although it said in a statement to theAssociated Presson Monday that Shanghai Pudong International Airport has activated new mandates that “require significantly extended ground time and are not operationally viable for Delta.”
Though the details of the new aircraft cleaning rules and the reason behind it are unclear, the changes come just as the city of Xi’an – roughly 600 miles outside of Beijing, where the 2022 Winter Olympics are set to kick off in a matter of weeks – is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak. Despite its strict zero-COVID strategy, upwards of 300 new cases were reported in Xi’an over the holiday weekend, adding to the 143 infections the city had already reported since Dec. 9.
Furthermore, the Global Times said in a Monday news conference that the Chinese government announced its anticipation of an increase in cases in the coming days, “with possible sporadic flare-ups,” even with the stringent lockdown of 13 million people in Xi’an.
Delta isn’t the only airlines reacting to the stricter cleaning protocols. China Airlines and EVA Air – both Taiwan-based airlines – have been forced to cut back on their flights to the Shanghai airport, alluding to the time-consuming disinfection measures, per Taiwan’s Central News Agency.
On Sunday, the Chinese consulate in San Francisco acknowledged in a statement that numerous recent flights to China had been canceled or delayed, calling out a flight that turned around halfway to Shanghai.
The consulate said it “made a stern representation to the airline.”
On Christmas Eve,Delta also announced it would be forced to cut 90 flights, citing both coronavirus and severe weather in some areas of the country.
In a statement to PEOPLE on Thursday, a spokeperson said, “Delta teams have exhausted all options and resources — including rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover scheduled flying — before canceling. We apologize to our customers for the delay in their holiday travel plans. Delta people are working hard to get them to where they need to be as quickly and as safely as possible on the next available flight.”
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources fromCDC,WHO, andlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
