The US Transportation Department said China’s cancellation of 44 flights operated by US airlines is inconsistent with the US-China air services accord.
An order has been issued to limit passenger capacity to 40% on four routes to the US in retaliation to sanctions imposed by China’s government on United Airlines.
China’s aviation authority has given the go-ahead for carriers to start four new international passenger services, including flights to Madrid and Toronto.
Chinese carriers have transported more than 1 million passengers in a day for the first time since late January as the country’s market continues to recover from the coronavirus crisis.
Chinese airlines are this year on course to collectively carry more than 600 million passengers for the first time, research by Routesonline has found, as growth in the country’s domestic and international market continues to accelerate. The figure is a huge increase from the 440 million carried just five years ago.
China is set to relax its “one route, one airline” policy for Chinese airlines on international routes, allowing for greater competition between state-owned and private carriers.