Delta becomes first U.S. airline to resume passenger f lights to China

Route from Seattle to Shanghai will begin Thursday

Delta Air Lines is the first U.S. airline to resume regularly scheduled passenger flights to China, with the start of service from Seattle to Shanghai viaSeoul.

Atlanta-based Delta plans to start the route Thursday with two flights a week on Airbus A350 jets. In July, it plans to switch to oncea-week flights from Seattle and Detroit to Shanghai via Seoul.

The airline encouraged customers to check entry policies regarding testing and screening for COVID-19 in China and the United States.

Delta and other U.S. airlines suspended flights to China in February because of the coronavirus outbreak and travel restrictions.

The move also suspended

Delta’s Atlanta-Shanghai route.

Delta resumed cargo service to China, but has been restricted from restarting passenger flights until now.

The airline’s AtlantaShanghai route remains suspended through the summer. While Delta has the route in its flight schedule for later this year, it said: “We are continuing to monitor the schedule in the months ahead and will adjust as needed based on demand, government travel regulations and federal health guidelines.”

Meanwhile, Delta is restarting flights from Atlanta to Seoul Incheon in July.

If Atlanta passengers want to travel to Shanghai over the summer, they would need to connect in Detroit or Seattle for the flight to Shanghai via Seoul, according to Delta.

After a recent outbreak of the coronavirus in Beijing, China has strengthened measures to eradicate the virus there, slowing a recent rise in new cases, the Associated Press reported.

ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES Delta will resume its China route with flights two days a week from Seattle, but will switch to once-a-week flights to Shanghai from Seattle and Detroit in July.