China to allow more foreign carriers to operate flights

China's civil aviation regulator said on Thursday that the country will allow more foreign carriers to operate flights into the country.

The adjustment is based on the premise that the risks related to COVID-19 are controllable, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said in a statement.

Foreign airlines currently unable to operate routes to China can choose one city in the country from which to run international flights once per week starting June 8, according to the statement.

In a bid to curb imported coronavirus cases, the CAAC said in late March that Chinese airlines could maintain just one weekly passenger flight on one route to any country and that carriers could fly no more than the number of flights they were flying on March 12.

Meanwhile, the Chinese aviation regulator said in its latest statement that flight incentives and "circuit-breaker" measures will be also implemented from June 8.

If an airline company doesn't report positive nucleic acid coronavirus test results of incoming passengers for three consecutive weeks on the same route, the carrier may fly two weekly passenger flights.

For airlines on the same route, if up to five of the incoming passengers test positive, their operation on the route would be suspended for one week. In case ten passengers test positive, the operation on the route would be held for four weeks. Once the "circuit-breaker" period ends, the related airline could resume its normal weekly passenger flights, said the statement.

(Cover image: A jetliner is seen taxing on the runway at Beijing Capital International Airport. /VCG)