The U.S. and China have agreed to increase the number of passenger flights between the two countries. In a rare show of cooperation, the Biden administration announced on Friday that it will approve twice the number of flights currently permitted for air carriers.
The U.S. Transportation Department (USDOT) stated that starting September 1, the number of Chinese passenger flights allowed to fly to the U.S. will increase to 18 weekly round-trips. This number will further increase to 24 per week starting October 29. This is a significant jump from the current allowance of 12 flights.
In a reciprocal move, the Chinese government will also increase the number of flights for American carriers. This agreement confirms an earlier report by Reuters.
The decision comes after China lifted pandemic-era restrictions on group tours for several countries, including the U.S., Japan, South Korea, and Australia. This move aims to boost tourism and trade between the countries.
The USDOT explained that the initial increase in flights on September 1 is meant to accommodate the anticipated surge in demand at the start of the academic year. However, it is not expected that U.S. airlines will immediately take advantage of all 18 weekly flights.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington expressed hope that the increased flights will improve mutual visits and trade between the two countries. The embassy highlighted the importance of direct flights for fostering closer ties between the Chinese and American peoples.
The approval of these flights follows consistent engagement between the U.S. and Chinese officials. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s June trip to China played a significant role in facilitating this agreement.
The USDOT stated that the goal is to create an improved environment for both U.S. and Chinese carriers to maintain a competitive balance and equal opportunity.
Several airlines are expected to benefit from this increase in flights, including Air China, China Eastern, Xiamen Airlines, China Southern, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Airlines. United Airlines, in particular, announced its plans to expand flights between the two countries, including resuming flights to Beijing and reintroducing its daily service to Shanghai.
The modified order by USDOT ensures fair competition and equal opportunity for U.S. airlines in the marketplace, according to Airlines for America, an industry trade group.
However, the 24 weekly flights are still a fraction of the more than 150 round-trip flights that were allowed before the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. In May, USDOT increased Chinese airlines’ passenger services to 12 weekly round-trips to match the number permitted for American carriers.
It is worth noting that U.S. carriers face limitations in flying over Russian airspace to reach China, resulting in longer routes. Chinese airlines have been avoiding Russian airspace in their newly approved flights to and from the U.S., but they still utilize Russian airspace for other flights.
Overall, this increase in flights between the U.S. and China signifies a step forward in cooperation between the two economic powerhouses. Both countries hope that this move will enhance trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Marguerita Choy