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What it's like to work a Wuhan evacuation flight
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A number of countries, from the United States to the UK, have sent a variety of aircraft — from a Boeing 747 freighter, normally used to ferry consumer goods and other products, to the world's largest charter jet — to repatriate citizens stranded in Wuhan, China following the region's coronavirus crisis.
This weekend, it was Sri Lanka's turn, and the country tapped its flagship carrier's largest plane, a SriLankan Airlines Airbus A330, for the honor of bringing students home.
SriLankan's chairman, Ashok Pathirage, shared a statement on the carrier's Facebook page:
Our nation has always relied on our National Carrier during times of crisis, be it a tsunami or a terror attack. The board of directors and every employee of SriLankan Airlines are extremely proud of the selfless efforts of our 16 crew members who volunteered to fly into Wuhan, which is currently under a lockdown, going far beyond their call of duty.
The crew members were dressed head to toe in protective gear, including full-body suits, masks, eye protection and gloves.
Even the pilots appeared to be wearing the same protective get-up, likely throughout the flight.
After a 2.5-hour stop at the seldom-used Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), perhaps for additional passenger screening, the flight finally reached Colombo (CMB) around 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1. The aircraft, 4R-ALS, returned to service later that evening, with a scheduled passenger flight to Dammam, Saudi Arabia (DMM).
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SriLankan didn't share photos of the arrival, but it's possible that passengers and crew members alike were met with a disinfectant process similar to what the above travelers landing at Indonesia's Hang Nadim Airport (BTH) faced after their own ferry flight from Wuhan.
All photos courtesy of SriLankan Airlines.
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Best for businesses with high spending
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
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Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
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- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month