China cuts more incoming flights, citing a rise in COVID-19 cases among passengers.
The majority of suspended flights were from the United States. However, flights from countries with a high COVID-19 infection rate were also slashed. This includes some flights from Germany, France, Australia, Canada, and Egypt.
The total number of cancelled flights to China has increased to 74, Reuters reports.
According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), a record number of passengers from abroad tested positive on arrival into China, leading the country decision to drastically reduce its connections.
In addition to previous traffic reductions, China began to cut flights from the US in early January, 2021.
Between January 1 and 11, 50 passengers arriving to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) tested positive, according to the CAAC. This led to the majority of flights into Shanghai being suspended for two-weeks.
Numerous airlines, including Emirates, Ryanair, and Virgin Australia, decided to reduce their schedules to curb the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.