The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is considering tripling the number of international flights allowed to depart the country from the start of June.
The CAAC’s deputy director, Li Jian told China News that the current maximum number of international flights of 134 a week under restrictions imposed on March 26 would be increased to 407 a week from June 1.
Li did not say on which carriers would be operating the expanded flight schedule. Chinese carriers are allowed to fly just one flight a week on one route to any country, while foreign airlines have been allowed to operate just one flight a week to China.
But many foreign airlines have not been flying to China at all because they suspended services before the CAAC flight curbs.
Li said it was likely that the number of flights would be fewer than 407, given expected fluctuating demand on some routes.
The CAAC’s move is well timed as it comes just after the US Department of Transport slapped additional filing requirements on Chinese carriers flying in the US in response to the Chinese flight restrictions.
The May 22 DoT order requires seven Chinese carriers - Air China, Beijing Capital Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines and Xiamen Airlines – file their existing schedules and also any proposed flights at least 30 days before inauguration of the service.
The DoT order, signed by assistant secretary for aviation and international affairs, Joel Szabat, said that based on the facts before it the ministry found the government of China has, over the objections of the US government, “impaired the operating rights of US carriers and denied them the fair and equal opportunity to exercise their operating rights under the agreement".
"We conclude the public interest requires the captioned carriers to file their schedules so we may determine if the operation of the services contained in those schedules, or any part thereof, 'may be contrary to applicable law or adversely affect the public interest'.”
The DoT said its actions were the result of China's March 26 decision to impose a restriction on international flights using March 12 as a baseline -long after most US carriers had stopped flying to China.
"In establishing an arbitrary 'baseline' date of March 12, as well as the other restrictions cited above, the CAAC notice effectively precludes US carriers from reinstating scheduled passenger flights to China and operating to the full extent of their bilateral rights while Chinese carriers can maintain scheduled passenger service to each foreign market served as of the baseline date, including the United States," the DoT order said.