Washington – The U.S. Transportation Department on Wednesday stated it’ll restrict some flights from Chinese carriers to 40% passenger capacity for 4 weeks after the Chinese government imposed similar limits on 4 United Airlines flights.
China informed United on Aug. 6 it was imposing sanctions after it alleged 5 passengers who traveled from San Francisco to Shanghai tested positive for COVID-19 on July 21.
The U.S. order stated the department will restrict over a four-week period each of 4 Chinese carriers to 40% capacity on a single China-U.S. flight.
United Airlines stated it was “pleased to see this action by the (Transportation Department) in pursuit of fairness in this important market.”
The Chinese embassy in Washington didn’t immediately comment.
The U.S. government says China’s “circuit breaker” policy violates the nations’ air services agreement and “places undue culpability on carriers with respect to travelers that test
positive for COVID-19 after their arrival in China.”
The department added carriers “haven’t any means to independently verify positive test results alleged by Chinese authorities. Moreover, there isn’t an option to establish where or when a traveler may have contracted” the virus.
Chinese authorities gave United three options: cancel two San Francisco to Shanghai flights; operate two without passengers, or operate 4 flights with up to 40% of passenger capacity.
The limits were imposed on 4 Wednesday United
San Francisco-Shanghai flights, beginning with an Aug. 11 flight.
The Biden administration stated it’ll impose identical limits on 4 flights over 4 weeks – one each from Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines Co, and Xiamen Airlines.
The limits come as many Chinese students are headed to the USA for the beginning of fall classes.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and the USA have sparred over air services.
In June 2020, the USA threatened to bar Chinese passenger flights after Beijing didn’t immediately agree to revive flights by U.S. airlines.
U.S. carriers voluntary halted flights to China after the coronavirus outbreak. Then-President Donald Trump on Jan. 31, 2020, barred nearly all non-U.S. citizens from traveling to the USA who had been in China within the last 14 days.
These restrictions on Chinese travelers stay in place. The Biden administration in April eased restrictions on Chinese students traveling to U.S. schools effective Aug. 1.
A long-standing air agreement between China and the USA allows each nation to operate more than 100 weekly flights between the 2 nations however only a fraction of those are currently operating.
