A flight attendant for Israel’s El Al national airline tested positive for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus after landing in China, and has been quarantined at a local facility since Thursday, Hebrew media reported Sunday evening. The woman tested negative twice for COVID-19 before departing on a cargo flight to Guangzhou, but tested positive for the new strain after landing. In accordance with China’s policy of aiming for zero cases, the flight attendant was promptly taken to a hospital quarantine facility and has been in contact with the Israeli consulate, according to the reports. The reports said China isn’t placing blame on Israel for the incident, adding that the Foreign Minister is aware of the situation and making efforts to have the flight attendant returned to Israel as soon as Monday.<br/>
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South Korean budget carrier Air Premia said Friday it has opened its first international cargo flight to Singapore to focus on the cargo business amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Air Premia plans to operate the Incheon-Singapore route every Friday at 8:30 p.m. The company said it will consider starting passenger flights to Singapore depending on the COVID-19 pandemic. It also plans to review whether to operate cargo flights to Vietnam next month. Air Premia's Boeing 787-9 jet is a medium-sized aircraft with a cargo load of 16 to 18 tons. In July, the carrier obtained government approval to use its aircraft for commercial purposes.<br/>