Finnair Suspends Flights To China Over COVID-19 Incidence Rise

HELSINKI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th November, 2020) Finland's flag carrier Finnair will suspend flights to China's Nanjing from November 20 and cancel a flight to Shanghai on November 19 due to a rise in the COVID-19 incidence, the airline said in a statement.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China announced on June 4 that it would allow foreign airlines to operate a maximum of one flight per week. Certain conditions have been established for air transportation to China: if, after landing, five infected passengers are detected on one flight, the airline's flights should be suspended for one week. Ten infections will entail a suspension for four weeks.

"We will suspend our flights between Helsinki and Nanjing in China temporarily from 20 November 2020 onwards due to the policy regarding the threshold for coronavirus cases detected following a 2-week quarantine after entry to China," Finnair said.

"We continue to operate to Shanghai once weekly, but our flight on 19 November and the return flight on 21 November will be cancelled.� We are sorry for the harm this situation may cause you," it said.

Finnair is Finland's largest airline, founded in 1923, part of the OneWorld alliance. The controlling stake belongs to the state.