China may extend curbs on international flights until June 30, say US diplomats

Chinese civil aviation authorities plan to extend their curbs on international flights until June 30, the US embassy in Beijing said in a travel advisory on Friday. Beijing has drastically cut such flights since March to contain the spread of the coronavirus amid concerns over infections brought into the country by arriving passengers.

The ‘Five One’ policy allows mainland carriers to fly just one flight a week on one route to any country and allows foreign airlines to operate just one flight a week to China.

Last week, Washington accused Beijing of making it impossible for its airlines to resume services to China. The US Transportation Department said in an order published on a government website that Delta Air Lines and United Airlines want to resume flights to China in June.

US airlines are not flying to China because they suspended services before the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) adopted the flight curbs. A CAAC news department official told Reuters there has been no change to the existing rules.