Airlines will be allowed to double the amount of flights between China and the United States following the easing of travel restrictions, the U.S. Department of Transportation confirmed.
On September 4, 2020, United Airlines will add two more weekly flights from San Francisco to Shanghai, while Delta Airlines (DAL) will add two more from Seattle and Detroit to Shanghai starting on August 24.
Likewise, China Southern Airlines (ZNH) plans to increase weekly flights from Guangdong to Los Angeles, and Xiamen Air – from Xiamen to Los Angeles.
It is the second relaxation of U.S.-China flight bans since the inception of COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. China allowed four weekly flights from the U.S. on June 4, and the U.S subsequently did the same.
The tensions between the world’s two largest economies spiked in the first days of June, as the U.S. banned Chinese carriers from flying into the country following a set of Chinese restrictions on international travel.