Coronavirus started in Wuhan; its airport finally reopened after 11 weeks
After 76 days of lockdown, Wuhan Tianhe International Airport has officially reopened. As of Wednesday morning local time, the airport has resumed commercial operations following the city's lockdown as the origin of the novel coronavirus.
Wuhan Airport (WUH), located in central China's Hubei province, has been closed since Jan. 23, to contain the spread of the coronavirus. As of Wednesday morning, however, operations have resumed. Xiamen Airlines Flight 8095 was the first commercial aircraft to arrive at WUH since the airport reopened. The Boeing 737-800 (B-5707) landed at WUH from Hangzhou (HGH) at 7:19 a.m. local time (7:19 p.m. Tuesday EST).
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The aircraft was greeted by a water cannon salute upon arrival.
It wasn't immediately clear how many passengers were on board the aircraft, however, according to data from ExpertFlyer, which is owned by TPG's parent company Red Ventures, the aircraft was nearly half empty. It's unclear if seats were blocked out by the airline for social distancing measures.
According to FlightRadar24, the first departure from the airport was a China Eastern Boeing 737 flying to Sanya (SYX) as MU2527. The flight departed at 7:25 a.m. local time (7:25 p.m. Tuesday EST) and arrived in Sanya at 9:46 a.m. local time (9:46 p.m. Tuesday EST).
At time of publication, there are a number of aircraft flying to and from Wuhan. According to data from FlightRadar24, there are 15 passenger aircraft airborne flying to or from WUH at time of writing.
A China Southern check-in agent confirmed to Bloomberg that the Guangzhou-based airline plans to operate 28 flights out of Wuhan on Wednesday. Some of the flights were reported to be 90% full, according to the agent.
There was reportedly a crowd outside the airport on Wednesday morning as those who were previously trapped in Wuhan fled to the airport to get home. While a number of medical professionals have been permitted to leave, for non-medical workers, individuals can only leave if they have a "green code," based on their travel history, health information and close contacts.
The city of Wuhan, with a population of around 11 million, has entered its post-coronavirus phase. As of Wednesday, the city's airport and train stations have reopened, allowing eligible medical workers and individuals to move freely. According to state broadcaster CCTV, some 55,000 people will leave Wuhan on Wednesday.
Hubei province and the lockdown measures throughout China have reportedly curbed the coronavirus spread in the country. According to Chinese officials, there have been no new deaths from coronavirus for the first time since the beginning of the outbreak, and just two new infections have been reported in the past 14 days in Wuhan.
Wednesday's lifting of the Wuhan lockdown comes amid news of the coronavirus at its peak or near-peak in other parts of the world. Airports around the world have been forced to drastically reduce — or even suspend — operations as the demand for air travel has dropped significantly and governments have issued restrictive measures.
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- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
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- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
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| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
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Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees