Mystery surrounds Delta Air Lines flight from Seattle to Shanghai that turned around just as it entered Russian airspace

[Emily]

https://evergreenstategazette.com/mystery-of-why-delta-air-flight-to-china-turned-back-to-seattle-more-than-half-way-through-flight/

Mystery of Why Delta Air Flight to China Turned Back to Seattle More Than Half Way Through Flight
Seattle
By Michael Moore On Dec 26, 2021
A Delta Air Lines flight from Seattle to Shanghai mysteriously turned around and returned almost six hours to the United States in what should have been an 11-hour flight to China. The flight cancellation in the air led to a reprimand from the Chinese consulate in San Francisco, which said on its WeChat account that it had “lodged a protest” with the airline.

Delta has since canceled its scheduled Seattle-to-Shanghai service until December 30th at the earliest, but it remains unclear why the airline was forced to turn back in the first place.

According to witnesses on the flight, the pilot indicated that the Chinese authorities announced a change in entry regulations sometime after take-off. There were fears that passengers would no longer be eligible to enter China, so the only alternative was to fly back to Seattle.
...
Less than six hours after take-off and just as the Airbus A330 was entering Russian airspace, the plane suddenly turned around and made its way back to Seattle.

Local Chinese media was told by Shanghai airport officials that entry regulations have not changed for some time and that no sudden changes have been made since DL287 departed. Passengers aboard the flight were so stunned they did not believe Delta staff and police were supposedly called when the plane arrived back in Seattle...

https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/china-bound-passengers-in-limbo-after-flight-turns-back-to-united-states/ar-AAS9k0B

China-bound passengers in limbo after flight turns back to United States
Amber Wang
21 hrs ago
...

An employee at Shanghai Pudong International Airport said the requirements for international flights remained unchanged in the past few days, and the cancellation of the Delta flight was not related to the airport.

"Other flights arrived normally that day, even some from the US," the staff member said.

Runtu said she was staying at a hotel arranged by the airline and was told that she might not be able to board another flight home until January 9.

She said there were a number of other Chinese students on the flight and they were concerned that re-entering the US could affect their visas.

They were also concerned about the need for further coronavirus tests to board rescheduled flights and whether their health codes to enter China would remain valid.

"I am just taking it one day at a time," Runtu said.

[Emily]

KIRO reporter talks to two students from China stranded at the airport for days. Delta canceled a couple more flights they were hoping to catch home. They are understandably worried.
Delta would not answer questions from KIRO regarding what is going on.

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/video-crowds-cancellations-meet-sea-airport-travelers/3c9fbff4-ff15-4b6f-a333-ed38fc19dfa4/

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-...f-covid-rules/

Delta: Flight to Shanghai turned back because of COVID rules
Dec. 27, 2021 at 6:30 am Updated Dec. 27, 2021 at 6:46 am
By The Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — Delta Air Lines said Monday that new pandemic-related cleaning requirements at a Shanghai airport were behind the turning back of a recent flight from Seattle in midair, a move that had prompted a protest from the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco.

An emailed statement said the new mandates at Shanghai Pudong International Airport “require significantly extended ground time and are not operationally viable for Delta.”

It wasn’t clear what the rules are and what prompted the change, but it comes as China tightens its already strict COVID-19 travel restrictions in the face of a growing outbreak in the city of Xi’an and ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing in six weeks...

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/...covid-outbreak

China’s Xi’an imposes ‘strictest’ controls to halt COVID outbreak
Since locking down the city last week, authorities launched several rounds of mass testing and placed nearly 30,000 people in hotel quarantine.
27 Dec 2021

The locked-down Chinese city of Xi’an has tightened COVID-19 controls to the “strictest” level, banning residents from driving cars around town in an effort to control the country’s worst outbreak in 21 months.

Restrictions tightened further on Monday as Xi’an announced it would impose the “strictest social control measures”, according to a city government social media account.

China has stuck to a “zero-COVID” strategy of tight border restrictions, lengthy quarantines and targeted lockdowns as Beijing prepares to welcome thousands of visitors for February’s Winter Olympics.

But Xi’an – where 13 million residents are facing their fifth day of home confinement – is at the centre of a flare-up that has pushed nationwide daily infections to their highest numbers since March 2020.

The northern city – home to the world-famous Terracotta Warriors – recorded 150 new cases on Monday, bringing the total to about 650 since December 9.

No vehicles are allowed on the roads unless they are assisting with disease control work, the latest announcement said.

Police and health officials will “strictly inspect” cars, and those who break the rules could face 10 days’ detention and a fine of 500 yuan ($78)...

[sharon sanders]

bump this

[Emily]

It's hard for me to believe that Delta found it more cost-effective to turn around a plane midway on a flight that long rather than to proceed and endure a longer time on the ground than expected for that one flight. Also, why doesn't China allow an exception just to get one load of students back home?

ETA: I've read on airline forums that Delta does not want its crews to be staying in quarantine overnight, so that is why they have the quick turn-around rules. There still must be something more to this since why would China want a plane leaving the country to be cleaned? Is this about a requirement to spray passengers and crew on arrival with a product Delta did not consider safe?

It's odd. Someone suggested there might be protectionism by China since now their airlines can get more of the lucrative US to China traffic. But if these requirements are at only one airport in China, that does not make sense.

[sharon sanders]

bump this