Boost for Chinese Airline as Biden administration increases number of flights

A carter drives past a China Eastern airliner parked at the Beijing International Airport in Beijing. [AP Photo]

The United States will allow Chinese airlines to increase U.S. passenger services to 12 weekly round trips, the Transportation Department (USDOT) said on Wednesday, equal to the number of flights Beijing has permitted for American carriers.

It is a boost from the eight weekly round-trip flights currently allowed by Chinese carriers and matches what Beijing has permitted for U.S. carriers, but a small fraction of the more than 150 round-trip flights allowed by each side before restrictions were imposed in early 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.