The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has suspended 44 passenger 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 said on January 21 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.
While the move is not directly related to cargo, the spat will put transpacific bellyhold services under further pressure in a market where freight capacity looks likely to be tight.
It will also result in further uncertainty over when passenger/bellyhold operations will recover to pre-pandemic levels.
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…