China to restore international flights

China’s civil aviation authorities said last week they hope to increase the frequency of international passenger flights this year to further revive international air travel. Chinese and foreign airlines operated a total of 5,493 pairs of scheduled international passenger flights from 6-12 May, representing approximately 73 percent of the pre-COVID-19 pandemic level, said Xu Qing, an official of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Currently international passenger flights link China with 70 countries, with the addition of five new destinations since the pandemic, including Kuwait, Serbia, Tanzania, Luxembourg and Papua New Guinea. Several airlines have recently launched new international routes to facilitate travel between China and other countries. For example, Air China inaugurated the Beijing-Madrid-Sao Paulo route on 27 April, while China Southern Airlines began operating the Shenzhen-Mexico City route on 11 May. In addition, Hainan Airlines is set to launch the Shenzhen-Budapest route, and China Southern Airlines will also open the Guangzhou-Budapest route soon. The CAAC will continue to streamline the approval and boost support for international flights, promptly addressing any issues and challenges airlines encounter in restoring international services, Xu said. The CAAC will also guide airlines in enhancing the efficiency of air traffic rights usage, Xu added. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]