US Airlines say China is forcing them to Cancel Some Flights

The Index Today

U.S. airlines say that China has blocked more than a dozen recent and future flights from entering the country as the country tightens travel restrictions due to surge in COVID-19 cases.

According to industry officials, China immediately ordered the cancellations after some passengers tested positive for COVID-19 on flights that arrived in China in the late of December.

American Airlines said Tuesday that six of its flights from Dallas-Fort Worth to Shanghai in late January and early February have been canceled. United Airlines said it was forced to cancel six flights from San Francisco to Shanghai later this month. Delta Air Lines said it canceled one flight last week and another this Friday to Shanghai, AP news reported.

Airlines for America, which represents the largest U.S. passenger and cargo carriers, said it was discussing the matter with U.S. and Chinese government officials to find ways to minimize the impact on travelers.

Currently, the Biden administration had no immediate comment for the matter.

The blocking of flights is the latest development in a dispute between the two countries over international flights and rules designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. China has been ratcheting up travel restrictions after recent outbreaks of COVID-19 as it prepares to host the Winter Olympics in early February. China limits capacity on inbound flights — currently to 75% — and requires passengers to be tested before departure and after arriving in the country, AP added in their report.

If passengers test positive, the airline that carried them can be forced to cancel two to four flights, depending on the number of positive cases.

Last month, Delta said new requirements for cleaning planes between flights caused a plane bound for Shanghai to return to Seattle. The airline said the new rules extended the time planes would need to sit on the ground in Shanghai, and weren’t workable. The Chinese consulate in San Francisco lodged a protest over Delta’s decision.