The U.S. and China will approve twice the number of passenger flights currently permitted for air carriers to fly between the two countries, the Biden administration said on Friday, in a rare sign of cooperation between the world's largest two economies.
The U.S. Transportation Department (USDOT) said it would will increase the number of Chinese passenger flights allowed to fly to the U.S. to 18 weekly round-trips on Sept. 1 and increase that to 24 per week starting Oct. 29 , up from the current 12.
It said the Chinese government will agree to the same increase for American carriers, confirming a decision reported earlier by Reuters.
The agreement between Beijing and Washington, which have sparred on many fronts, comes after China on Thursday lifted pandemic-era restrictions on group tours for more countries, including key markets such as the U.S., Japan, South Korea and Australia.
USDOT said the first tranche of flights was approved to start Sept. 1 "to meet an anticipated increase in demand around the start of the academic year."
Sources said U.S. airlines are not expected to immediately take advantage of all 18 weekly flights.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington referred questions about specifics to authorities in China, but said "direct flights are essential for increasing mutual visits between Chinese and American peoples. We hope that the restoration of more flights will do good to the flow of people and trade between the two countries."
After Secretary of State Antony Blinken's June trip to the China, consistent engagement by USDOT and the State Department with Chinese officials "made this important step forward possible," USDOT added.
"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," USDOT said in its approval order on Friday.
Air China said in a filing with USDOT on Thursday that it was seeking permission to add a new weekly flight between Beijing and Los Angeles.
China Eastern, Xiamen Airlines and China Southern also fly scheduled service to the U.S., while United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Airlines currently operate passenger flights to China.
United said on Friday it will expand flights between the two countries under the agreement, resuming flights to Beijing and reintroducing its daily service to Shanghai.
Airlines for America, an industry trade group, said it "supports the gradual reopening of U.S.-China air services commiserate with increases in passenger demand over time. Today’s modified Order ensures fair and equal opportunity for U.S. airlines to compete in the marketplace."
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-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.
U.S. carriers have noted that they cannot fly over Russian airspace to China, which makes some routes much longer. Reuters reported in June Chinese airlines were avoiding flying over Russian airspace in newly approved flights to and from the U.S. but still using Russian airspace for other flights.
© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023.
14 Comments
Login to comment
EFD
The Chinese must need more hostages with which to conduct diplomacy.
Either that or they’re running out of ways to exfiltrate their pilfered intellectual property.
sakurasuki
Is that include flight with balloon?
stormcrow
“The Chinese must need more hostages with which to conduct diplomacy.”
That’s really funny and a big reason why I have no desire to go there. There is very little difference between China, Russia and North Korea in that regard.
Mark
One step in the right direction, next start talking steps towards De Escalation so people on both sides can have comfort knowing that their kids will have no worry of fighting a war.
The U.S. and China being super powers can take a major steps in keeping the peace and moving their people toward prosperity and out of poverty and homelessness .
Rodney
They won’t be flying over Russia though.
Bill Lewis
Anyone associated with the CCP, which is pretty much anyone within China that has the means to travel internationally, should be refused a visa and landing rights. The CCP is the most dangerous organization in the world today.
justasking
This is good for us foreigners living in Asia and not China. China doesn't charge as much as other airlines and though we may have to transit the cost could be almost half. At the moment, other airlines have raised their prices to almost of the world records from Asia to America and so this will be a nice break for us folks living in Asia.
EFD
Because Chinese airlines don't waste money on piddling things like maintenance or pilot training.
1glenn
Friends of ours went to China shortly after the country opened up to tourism. They thoroughly enjoyed their trip. I have never been, but would love to visit the country, along with Japan and South Korea. Have never been to that part of Asia.
On the subject of China/U.S. relations, the whole world hopes that Xi does not start a war to conquer Taiwan. Such a war would be disastrous for all concerned.
wtfjapan
They won’t be flying over Russia though.
actually Chinese carriers are allowed to fly over Russia, not that it matters as when going to the US the most direct route is over Alaska and Canada
WA4TKG
Did they agree to sail into each other's Territorial Waters (actual LEGAL ones) twice as much too ?
Roy Sophveason
It's ... complicated and murky. Yes, Chinese carriers are allowed to use Russian airspace, but recently added connections to and from the US distinctly aren't going over Russia, while older existing connections are. For all the world it looks like the US government made a deal with Chinese operators to allow more inbound and outbound flights on the condition that these connections don't use Russian airspace. Neither side would officially confirm or deny that, though.
theFu
As long as the govts stay out of it, let the people interact and learn directly from each other. That's a good thing. I have no plans to visit China again, but I do want to go to Taiwan. Seems like an amazing country.
Desert Tortoise
China Eastern and Air China sure do. They fly up the US west coast to Alaska, cross the Behring Strait at almost the narrowest point then fly down Siberia crossing briefly over a small part of the Sea of Okhotsk before entering Chinese airspace. US flagged airlines will stay out of Russian airspace but the Chinese don't.
It's interesting too as there are lit up areas, little towns and such all the way north along the coast of the US, Canada and Alaska right to the tip of Alaska, but Russia is as dark as the open ocean. No lights anywhere. Then you hit the Chinese border and you can almost see the line between the two nations China is so lit up.