US DOT suspends 44 flight segments served by Chinese carriers
By Pilar
Wolfsteller21 January 2022
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has suspended 44 flight
segments operated by Chinese air carriers in retaliation for Chinese
cancellation of flights by US carriers due to alleged violation of the Asian
country’s Covid-19 rules.
It’s the latest volley in an increasing spat between US and Chinese
aviation regulators about the rules, as China remains committed to a zero-Covid
infection policy.
The DOT says on 21 January that its sanctions, which take effect immediately, are due to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) recently “impairing the operating rights of three US carriers”. Its order applies to flights operated by Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines.
Source: Air China
US DOT suspends flights to the USA by Air China and three other
mainland Chinese carriers
CAAC last week suspended two United Airlines flights between San
Francisco and Shanghai Pudong, as well as four China Southern Airlines flights
between Los Angeles and Guangzhou. Other carriers forced to suspend flights
between the two countries in the past weeks include Delta Air Lines and
American Airlines.
DOT at the time complained that the cancellations were “inconsistent
with obligations under the US-China air transport agreement” and the new
sanctions are a direct response to the Chinese suspensions.
“We find that CAAC’s recent actions impairing the operations of Delta,
American, and United…are adverse to the public interest and warrant
proportionate remedial action by the department,” the order reads. “CAAC’s
unilateral actions against the named US carriers are inconsistent with the
provisions of the agreement and are premised on circumstances wholly outside of
the carriers’ control.”
The cancelled flights include connections during February and March
between Los Angeles and the cities of Shenzhen, Xiamen, Tianjin and
Guangzhou, as well as flights between New York’s JFK airport and Shanghai
Pudong.
China has imposed strict restrictions for carriers whose aircraft
arrive with Covid-19-positive passengers on board. The CAAC’s so-called
“circuit breaker notice” stipulates that if five to nine passengers on an
inbound flight test positive for coronavirus, the airline must choose one of
two operational restrictions: either to suspend flights for four weeks after
the “circuit breaker” event, or impose a load factor limit of no higher than
40% starting four weeks after the event.
DOT says US airlines were denied the option to reduce load factors, and
were forced to cancel flights to China.
“The US government has repeatedly raised its objections with the
government of China over the ’circuit breaker’ measure and its inconsistency
with the provisions of the agreement,” DOT says. It places “undue culpability
on carriers with respect to travelers who, despite having presented negative
test results prior to boarding, test positive for Covid-19 up to seven days
after their arrival in China.”
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