The Trump administration has banned Chinese passenger airlines from flying scheduled service to the United States (U.S.)
The move which aims at ramping up pressure on China, which hasn’t allowed U.S. carriers to resume flights in the country, threatens to further isolate the world’s two largest aviation markets from one another.
The order published on Wednesday, takes effect June 16, but it could be moved up.
The move comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing. The dispute is also a departure from the type of bilateral agreements that the U.S. government has pursued for decades that aim to make it easier for airlines to expand to international airports without onerous government approvals. The U.S. does not have ‘Open Skies’ agreement with China.
The U.S. order affects Air China; China Eastern; China Southern and Xiamen. The measure, however, does not affect flights from Hong Kong, a Department of Transportation spokesman said.
An aviation analyst and a former executive at TWA and other airlines, Bob Mann,said the current dispute “goes back to the era of limited entry markets which we have been trying to get away from for the past 30 years.”
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have been pushing to return to China after pausing service because of the coronaviruspandemic, but they haven’t yet received the approvals from Chinese aviation authorities to do so.
“We support and appreciate the U.S. government’s actions to enforce our rights and ensure fairness,” Delta said in a statement.
United,on its part, said, “We look forward to resuming passenger service between the United States and China when the regulatory environment allows us to do so.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s order on Wednesday, said: “Our overriding goal is not the perpetuation of this situation, but rather an improved environment wherein the carriers of both parties will be able to exercise fully their bilateral rights.”
“Should the [Chinese aviation authority] adjust its policies to bring about the necessary improved situation for U.S. carriers, the Department is fully prepared to revisit the action it has announced in this order,”it added.
In March, Chinese aviation officials said airlines from that country could keep flying one scheduled passenger flight a week, on one route to any country, a measure aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
In January, U.S. and Chinese airlines operated 325 flights a week between the two countries, the DOT said.The Civil Aviation Administration of China could not immediately be reached for comment.
Chinese Embassy officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
CNBC
