Chinese Airlines Banned from flying to the US
Following the news and updates around the COVID-19 pandemic, many airlines were forced to suspend or reduce their daily operations. We have the latest information from airlines and hotels all around the world. As the pandemic started to slow down many countries are easing travel restrictions and opening up borders for travel. Interestingly, the US Department of Transportation issued a notice that Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, and Xiamen Airlines will be banned from flying to the United States. Following that announcement, the Civil Aviation Administration of China decided to allow more foreign carriers to fly into the mainland.
The US Bans Chinese Airlines
The Department of Transportation announced on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, that Chinese passenger airlines will be banned from flying to the United States starting June 16, 2020. The Department of Transportation or DOT claims that the Chinese authorities have failed to permit the US carriers to exercise fully their bilateral rights and that the Chinese government is in breach of the US-China Civil Air Transport Agreement. The Agreement establishes rights for the carriers of both the US and China to provide certain air services between the two countries.
From the official DOT Order:
The U.S. Department of Transportation (the Department), responding to the failure of the Government of the People's Republic of China (China) to permit U.S. carriers to exercise the full extent of their bilateral right to conduct scheduled passenger air services to and from China, is suspending the scheduled passenger operations of all Chinese carriers to and from the United States.
Several USA airlines including Delta and United applied to the Civil Aviation Authority of China to resume some passenger flights that were stopped because of the COVID-19 outbreak earlier in the year. This request from the US carriers was denied and as a response, and an attempt into pressuring Beijing to ease the restrictions, the DOT banned Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, and Xiamen Airlines from flying to the United States.
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China Eases the Flight Ban
In response to the official DOT order which bans several Chinese carriers from flying to the United States, the Civil Aviation Authority of China decided to ease the existing travel ban. The Civil Aviation Administration of China came to a decision that foreign carriers that are currently banned from operating flights to mainland China will be allowed flights into a city of their choosing once per week starting June 8, 2020.