Direct Flights to China: October Updates

More flight updates have been announced for planes arriving to and departing from China:

 San Francisco - Shanghai (4x per week) 

United Airlines announced plans to start nonstop service to China four-times-weekly between San Francisco and Shanghai, starting on October 21. The four weekly flights from San Francisco International Airport to Shanghai Pudong International Airport will operate with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Travelers flying back to the United States from China will return on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with tickets for all flights available for purchase on United's official website. 

In addition, United will no longer be required to stop in Seoul, allowing the carrier to offer nonstop service to Shanghai. Before the coronavirus outbreak began, the airline boasted more service to China than any other U.S. carrier. Last week, United announced plans to restart service on close to 30 international routes this November.

 South Korea (Incheon) - Wuhan 

China's Wuhan has re-opened for international flights. A flight operated by South Korean carrier T'way landed at Wuhan's Tianhe International Airport Wednesday morning with 60 passengers, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

All international passengers arriving in Wuhan have to pass a test within 72 hours of departure, Li Yizhuo, director of Wuhan's Civil Aviation Office, told CCTV. 

South Korean budget carrier T'way will operate one weekly round-trip flight between Wuhan and Incheon International Airport, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Other major Chinese cities -- including Beijing and Shanghai -- already allow direct international flights, but have tightened visa processes and health checks.

 Northern Ireland - Beijing (Chartered Plane for Students) 

Queen’s University Belfast for the second time in two weeks has chartered a Qatar Airways plane to bring hundreds of Chinese students to Belfast. On Saturday about 400 new and returning Queen’s University students were flown into Northern Ireland from Beijing by Boeing 777 to begin the college term. Two weeks previously the university chartered a flight to bring in about 370 Chinese students.

The college emphasised all students were required to show a negative Covid-19 certificate, taken no more than five days before flight departure, in order to board the flight. The students are now quarantining for two weeks. A college spokesman explained that each student paid no more than the commercial cost of the flight of just over £600 (€662) while Queen’s subsidised the remainder of the cost of chartering the planes.

 Abu Dhabi - China 

Etihad Airways announced on Thursday that it is offering polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for Covid-19 in the price of all air tickets for UAE customers travelling from Abu Dhabi until December 31.

The national airline is allowing all passengers who fly out of the UAE capital Covid tests between 48 to 96 hours prior to departure at Life Medical Diagnostic Center's (Life Dx) network of facilities. The test is normally between Dh180 and Dh370 at health clinics and testing centres across the country. Travellers flying First or Business Class will also have the option of selecting tests at their home.

Etihad's offer is currently not available, however, on flights from Abu Dhabi to China. 

Passengers bound for China must arrange a PCR test at a Seha facility, with the test taken within 48 hours of departure. All travellers are currently required to provide negative Covid-19 test results in order to board Etihad flights.

 Thailand - Guangzhou 

Thailand will receive its first foreign vacationers when a flight from China arrives next week, marking the gradual restart of a vital tourism sector battered by coronavirus travel curbs, a senior official said on Tuesday.

The first flight will have about 120 tourists from Guangzhou, flying directly to the resort island of Phuket, Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters.

Thailand in January was the first country outside of China to detect the coronavirus, in a visitor from Wuhan.“Tourists will be on a long stay visa, starting Oct. 8 and will stay in alternative state quarantine for 14 days,” Yuthasak said.

Visitors need health insurance and a negative coronavirus test 72 hours before traveling and will be tested twice in quarantine.

 Singapore - China ATP (Air Travel Pass) Info 

According to a guide issued by Changi International airport, the ATP is a mandatory document for short-term foreign visitors from approved countries or regions travelling to Singapore for leisure. A separate document, known as a Safe Travel Pass, is for foreign travellers from approved countries or regions seeking essential business and official travel to Singapore under “green lane” or “fast lane” arrangements.

Singapore has established bilateral “fast lane” agreements with China and South Korea to facilitate essential business and official travel. For China, this applies to six Chinese provinces and municipalities: Chongqing, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Tianjin and Zhejiang.

Sources: Flight Global, National Post, Khaleej Times, News.com.au, Travel Pulse, CTV News, Irish Times

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