US to revise ban on Chinese airlines after Beijing lifts de facto ban on American carriers

A recently released revised order by the US Transportation Department could allow Chinese passenger airlines to continue to operate flights in the US. According to reports, the revised order comes after the Chinese government announced on June 4 that it would ease coronavirus restrictions and allow more foreign carriers to operate passenger flights in the US.

According to reports, before China announced that it would be easing restrictions, the US had threatened to bar Chinese passenger airlines from flying to the United States from June 16 onwards due to Beijing's restrictions on the operational capacity of US airlines in the country.

According to reports, on June 3, the US Transportation Department stated Chinese carriers could operate the same number of scheduled passenger flights as the Chinese government allows theirs.

Chinese passenger carriers had continued flight operations from the mainland to the US throughout the pandemic while American carriers had voluntarily decided to suspend flights. Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) and United Airlines (UAL.O) have requested to restart flight operations from this month.

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Read: Amid Growing Bilateral Tensions, US Suspends All Flights By Chinese Airlines From June 16

China allows US flights

China on June 4 reportedly said that it will allow foreign airlines that are currently blocked from operating over COVID-19 concerns to resume limited flights. While Washington ordered the suspension of all flights by Chinese airlines, Beijing lifted the de facto ban on the US carries. The move by China’s civil aviation authority comes after the US retaliated against Beijing’s restriction on American and foreign carriers.

The move also adds to the soaring friction between Beijing and Washington, two largest economies, amid the deadly coronavirus pandemic and also in the wake of a two-year trade war that has not been fully resolved. The latest spat between the two countries is rooted partly on the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) deciding to impose a limit for foreign airlines based on their activity as of March 12.

(Representative Image)

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