Biden administration approves Chinese airline flights to the US. On Wednesday, the Transportation Department (USDOT) said Chinese airlines could boost U.S. passenger services to 12 weekly roundtrips, matching Beijing’s allowance for American carriers.
It’s up from Chinese carriers’ eight weekly roundtrip flights and matches what Beijing has allowed U.S. carriers, but it’s still a fraction of the more than 150 roundtrip flights each side allowed before restrictions were imposed in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
USDOT ordered “a gradual, broader reopening of the U.S.-China air services market.” China reopened its borders to international visitors in March for the first time in three years after removing COVID-19-related border controls for its residents in January.
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Air China (601111. SS), China Southern Airlines (600029. SS), and China Eastern Airlines (600115. SS) conduct scheduled passenger services between the nations.
After Chinese pandemic restrictions were lifted in March, America added two roundtrip weekly flights to Shanghai from Texas, according to USDOT.
In its decision, USDOT claimed Chinese air travel restrictions “had, and continue to have, a devastating effect on the U.S.-China air transport market.”
In March 2022, the U.S. banned Russia from flying over the U.S. after it invaded Ukraine.
Two senior senators wrote to the Biden administration in February to stop Chinese and other non-American airlines from flying over Russia on U.S. routes, which saves fuel and time.
Airlines for America, representing major U.S. airlines, commended the senators’ letter in February, saying it reinforced industry worries about Russian overflights hurting American passenger and freight carriers.
Comment Template