COVID: US suspends 44 passenger flights to China in retaliation

The United States will be suspending 44 China-bound passenger flights in response to similar moves by China, the government announced Friday. 

The decision comes in retaliation to Beijing restricting the movement of US carriers under its strict ‘zero COVID approach’, according to an AFP report. 

The suspensions will begin on January 30 with Xiamen Airlines’ scheduled Los Angeles-to-Xiamen flight and continue until March 29, the US Department of Transportation said.

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The department wrote in its order that “actions impairing the operations of Delta, American and United as described above are adverse to the public interest and warrant proportionate remedial action by the department.”

“US carriers, who are following all relevant Chinese regulations with respect to pre-departure and in-flight protocols, should not be penalized if passengers, post-arrival, later test positive for COVID-19,” it said.

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The 44 flights restricted are operated by Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines and are scheduled for departure between January 30 and March 29, AFP reported.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said that the policy for international passenger flights entering China had “been applied equally to Chinese and foreign airlines in a fair, open and transparent way”.

Terming the decision by US “very unreasonable”, he added, “We urge the US side to stop disrupting and restricting the normal passenger flights” by Chinese airlines, according to a report by Reuters.

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Beijing had suspended several flights ahead of the Winter Olympics. Testing and containment measures were ramped up after the city recorded its first locally transmitted infection of the highly transmissible omicron variant of coronavirus on February 15. 

The flights cancelled by China include 10 American airlines, 14 Delta and 20 United airlines when passengers who tested negative for COVID before takeoff ended up testing positive after arrival in China. 

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Apart from strict entry controls at the border, China also has a “circuit breaker” policy where routes are halted if too many infections are brought in on the flights, reported AFP. 

The US transportation department said it was ready to reconsider its move if China revised its “policies to bring about the necessary improved situation for US carriers”. 

(With agency inputs)