US approves two Air China flights to take Chinese citizens home
- Flights from Houston to Tianjin on Sunday and Washington to Shenzhen on Thursday given green light, Chinese diplomatic missions in US say
- Announcements reiterate warning that passengers may be subject to questioning by border officials on departure
The Chinese embassy in Washington said on Saturday that a flight from the US capital to Shenzhen had been approved for Thursday afternoon, while a second, from Houston to Tianjin on Sunday afternoon, has also been given the go-ahead by the US transport department, according to the Chinese consulate in the Texan city.
Both notices reiterated an earlier warning to passengers from the Chinese mission in Washington that they may be subjected to questioning by border officials on departure, including having their phones, computers and other electronics examined.
The flight approvals came after the US transport department said earlier it would begin requiring Chinese airlines to file proposed flight schedules at least 30 days in advance, in response to Beijing not yet approving US carriers’ applications to resume their services to China amid the global health crisis.
There are about 370,000 Chinese studying in the US and many have been left stranded as a result of the flight restrictions. Some have criticised Beijing for its tight controls on flights into China, which they say have left them unable to get home.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China’s published a notice in March restricting airlines, both domestic and foreign, to one flight per week.