US, China Enter A New Era

The U.S. and China would enable twice as many passenger flights as are now allowed for aviation businesses to fly between the two countries, according to sources and a document reviewed by Reuters on Friday.

The U.S. Transportation Department (USDOT) will increase the number of Chinese passenger flights permitted to fly to the U.S. from the current 12 to 18 weekly round-trips on September 1 and increase that to 24 per week starting on October 29. Sources claim that the Chinese government will consent to the same increase for American carriers.

The deal, which represents a rare instance of Beijing and Washington working together, comes after China on Thursday eased restrictions placed on group travel during the epidemic that excluded important markets including the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.

USDOT did not immediately respond after publishing its verdict late on Friday. Requests for comment from the White House, State Department, and Chinese Embassy in Washington were not immediately fulfilled.

"Our overriding goal is an improved environment wherein the carriers of both parties are able to exercise fully their bilateral rights to maintain a competitive balance and fair and equal opportunity among U.S. and Chinese air carriers," the USDOT stated in a statement released on Friday.

The 24 weekly flights are still a fraction of the more than 150 round-trip flights allowed by each side before restrictions were imposed in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 3, USDOT said it would allow Chinese airlines to increase U.S. passenger services to 12 weekly round-trips, equal to the number of flights Beijing has permitted for American carriers. Previously, only eight weekly flights by Chinese carriers were allowed.

Reuters reported in June that Chinese airlines are avoiding flying over Russian airspace in newly approved flights to and from the U.S., according to flight tracking website FlightAware and industry officials.

Russia has barred U.S. airlines and other foreign carriers from flying over its airspace, in retaliation for Washington banning Russian flights over the U.S. in March 2022 after the country invaded Ukraine.

Source: Reuters