France reduces flights by Chinese carriers to Paris in tit-for-tat row with Beijing
- From July 13, Chinese carriers will only be authorised to make one weekly trip, French embassy in Beijing says
- Chinese embassy in France says in social media post that France was asking to land all three weekly Air France flights in Shanghai, which is facing immense pressure in terms of virus control efforts
France on Monday started restricting Chinese airlines to one passenger flight per week, saying it was acting in response to curbs imposed by Beijing on French carriers.
“From July 13, Chinese companies will only be authorised to make one weekly trip,” the French embassy in Beijing said on its website. “Discussions are under way between the two governments, with a view to reaching a satisfactory solution.”
China’s state aviation regulator, Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The French embassy said three Chinese carriers, Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, were each authorised to make weekly flights from Chinese cities to Paris. It said that, under a June 12 reciprocal arrangement, Air France had been authorised by Beijing to carry out three flights a week to China but that, in practice, Chinese authorities had only allowed one Air France flight per week.
It said France was applying intense diplomatic pressure to get the go-ahead from Beijing for the extra flights. In the meantime, it advised travellers to be prepared for disruption to air links between the countries.
The Chinese embassy in France said in a post on its social media account that the French government was asking to land all three weekly flights operated by Air France in Shanghai.