[Epoch Times December 30, 2021](Epoch Times reporter Xia Yu comprehensive report) Delta Air Lines (Delta Air Lines) a flight from Seattle to Shanghai suddenly turned back midway, arousing the attention of the Chinese community and the media . Delta Air Lines stated that the new clean regulations at Chinese airports have prompted flights to return. The United States stated that the United States and China are negotiating possible changes to this new regulation because such changes may severely affect flights to China.
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Bloomberg reported that on Tuesday (December 28), a US State Department official who asked not to be named confirmed these discussions.
Industry representatives said that due to the spread of COVID-19, China’s (CCP) new sanitation requirements have greatly extended the aircraft’s time on the ground and have largely repeated the steps that American Airlines has taken to clean between flights. In addition, the industry says there is a lack of available workers to perform the additional steps.
US State Department officials told Bloomberg that the US is seeking to change China’s new cleaning regulations because of strict disinfection procedures that have been implemented between flights by airlines around the world. Airlines developed extensive in-flight cleaning protocols at the beginning of the pandemic.
Delta Air Lines said on Tuesday that due to changes in cleaning rules at Chinese airports, Delta Air Lines’ flight from Seattle to Shanghai last week turned back on the way. If the flight lands in Shanghai, the new regulations will cause a lot of delays.
A Delta spokesperson said of the December 21 flight: “The new cleaning procedure requires a significant increase in the time (the aircraft is on) the ground, which is not operationally feasible for Delta Air Lines.”
Bloomberg reported that a Delta spokesperson said on Tuesday that the airline is evaluating the company’s flights from Detroit and Seattle to Shanghai twice a week on a flight-by-flight basis.
Reactions of other airlines to China’s new sanitation rules
The details of Shanghai Pudong International Airport’s implementation of the new cleaning regulations are not yet clear, but before the Beijing Winter Olympics in February, the CCP has introduced increasingly strict COVID-19 travel regulations, and 13 million people in Xi’an are under strict lockdown. .
At a government health briefing in Beijing on Wednesday (December 29), Han Guangzu, an official of the Civil Aviation Administration of the Communist Party of China, told reporters that China had formulated detailed aircraft cleaning procedures in September to prevent the spread of the new crown virus by aircraft.
Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that China’s new health agreement caused EVA Air to suspend passenger services from Taipei and Kaohsiung to Shanghai Pudong until February 3. According to news reports, Taiwan’s China Airlines will suspend flights from one city to Shanghai until the end of January and reduce flights on another route.
Bloomberg reported that an ANA spokesperson stated that the departure time of flights departing from Shanghai and Guangzhou has been postponed since December 22 to allow time to clean the aircraft. According to a spokesperson, Japan Airlines’ passenger flights to and from China are operating normally, but air cargo entering China is restricted.
American airlines flying to China generally need to stop in another city, such as Incheon, South Korea, and then change the crew before continuing to fly to China. Airline representatives said that the procedure ensures that crew members do not exceed the legal number of working hours and allows them to avoid overnight stays, but this may trigger additional COVID protocol requirements for the aircraft or crew members.
Insider reveals what the Chinese consulate did after the return of the Delta flight
Most of the Delta flights returning to Seattle were Chinese citizens, which aroused the attention of the Chinese community. On December 25, the Chinese Embassy in the United States issued a statement stating that several flights from the United States to China were delayed or cancelled, and an airline company even turned back halfway. The embassy has made representations with the airline. Many media in mainland China have reported on the incident, but they are unclear on the reason for the return flight. Most of them quoted various rumors, including the accusation of the US flight by the Chinese Embassy in the United States.
At a regular press conference on Wednesday, the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zhao Lijian once again denied that China’s new health regulations have caused the return of Delta flights. He said that the Chinese Embassy and Consulate in the United States provided assistance to the relevant passengers and lodged solemn representations with the relevant US airlines as soon as possible. He also accused U.S. airlines of serious shortages of manpower, leading to flight cancellations.
However, an insider of Delta Air Lines told the Epoch Times reporter last Sunday (26th) that the CCP did not tell the trapped passengers the true situation, but shirked responsibility.
The Delta insider, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized by the company, said, “The flight was only known after the flight took off. Foreign flight attendants are required to implement the so-called quarantine period in China.”
The insider said that Pudong Airport has temporarily notified the implementation of stricter disinfection measures for incoming aircraft; and this requirement will allow foreign aircraft to stay at Pudong Airport for longer than the time allowed by the CCP for inspection and quarantine (usually 3 hours). . In other words, after the plane lands, foreign flight attendants must undergo quarantine testing in mainland China for at least two weeks, just like passengers.
“This arbitrary and unreasonable so-called epidemic prevention policy not only sets an insurmountable threshold for Chinese passengers who are eager to return to China, but it is also unbearable for foreign airlines.” Insiders said, “I believe this is Delta. The reason behind the helplessness.”
The person also disclosed the incident of the Chinese Consulate in the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. He said that after Delta’s returning passengers were stranded and stranded in Seattle, the Chinese consulate sent personnel to Seattle International Airport. They did not help coordinate the passengers’ return. Instead, they organized unclear Chinese passengers to riot at Delta, causing local police to arrive at the scene. Maintain order.
He added, “The Chinese Consulate even organized some Chinese and English media to conduct interviews at Seattle Airport on the 25th (December), unilaterally accusing Delta Air Lines, but did not mention that the CCP violated international practices and required the isolation of flight attendants on international flights. This is the real reason that hinders the Chinese from returning to China.”
Editor in charge: Li Huanyu#
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