This EXACTLY!

When FedEx first moved from Subic to Guangzhou more than ten years ago I deadheaded into China to sit hotel standby at the CAN airport hotel.
I remember reading an FCIF at the time about “activating” your China Visa (you needed to fly a live leg into China) to avoid the equivalent of cabotage by flying a leg inside the country. When I was assigned a reserve trip from CAN to PVG I called the D.O. about it. I was assured it was all good...

When I arrived at the ramp at CAN for the trip the flight ops specialist looked at my passport and asked if I had flown a leg out of the country and back in. I said no....She took my passport to the immigration officers and returned saying: “Once you arrive in PVG you will not be allowed to leave the country.” I called the D.O. back and put him on the phone with the FedEx agent. It was decided that I would “move the freight” and then “they would pax me back to CAN” and “get me out of the country via limo to HKG.”

My obvious question was, what if this doesn’t work out? Am I stuck in a Chinese prison for not adhering to their immigration regulations?...I am not dismissing FedEx’s ability to get things done, but I am saying in a country like China FedEx has limited control, and priority number one should be to protect yourself.

Letter from the union tonight addressed this. Contact DO prior to operating leg that you don't feel comfortable doing.

Thanks. It currently looks like nothing is moving into or out of Guangzhou with any purple paint on it. Unfortunately, it also appears we’ve got several pilots not moving out of there either. I have a feeling the next official correspondence we get will be interesting to say the least.

Think you guys will move back down to Subic after all of this?

Clark. I think Subic is out of the question now. We probably burned too many bridges w the locals. My .02 Cents.