Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
The Biden administration announced on Friday that the two greatest economies in the world would sanction twice as many passenger flights as are now allowed for airlines to operate between the two nations.
According to a USDOT announcement, starting on September 1 and continuing through October 29, the number of Chinese passenger aircraft that are allowed to fly to the US would increase from the current 12 to 18 roundtrips per week.
The announcement confirmed a decision previously published by Reuters and stated that the Chinese government will accept the same rise for US carriers.
The accord comes as China on Thursday lifted limits on group visits for more nations, including important markets like the U.S., Japan, South Korea, and Australia. Beijing and Washington have been at odds on numerous fronts.
According to sources, American airlines won’t likely immediately make use of all 18 flights offered each week.
Consistent engagement by USDOT and the State Department with Chinese officials during Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s June visit to China “made this crucial step forward feasible,” USDOT noted.
Read Next: Asian Shares Cautious Due to China Inflation Data and US Banking Concerns
Increased China-US Flights
In a file with the USDOT on Thursday, Air China stated that it was requesting authorization to add a brand-new service per week between Beijing and Los Angeles.
While United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Airlines now run passenger flights to China, China Eastern, Xiamen Airlines, and China Southern also offer scheduled service to the United States.
United announced on Friday that it will increase travel between the two nations in accordance with the agreement by starting daily flights to Shanghai and Beijing once more.
The 24 weekly flights are still only a small portion of the more than 150 round-trip flights that were previously permitted between the two countries until limitations were put in place in early 2020 as a result of the COVID outbreak.
On May 3, USDOT said that it would let Chinese airlines boost their passenger service to the United States to 12 weekly roundtrips, matching the number of flights Beijing had allowed for American carriers. Formerly, Chinese airlines could only operate eight flights every week.
Certain routes are significantly lengthened as a result of American carriers’ inability to cross Russian airspace to reach China. Chinese aircraft were reportedly avoiding Russian airspace on recently allowed flights to and from the United States but still using it for other flights, according to Reuters.
Read Next: Cathay Pacific’s Stellar H1 Results Spark Plan to Reimburse Government Aid
Source: Reuters
