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ChinaPeople & Culture

Coronavirus: Beijing opens up to inbound flights as city gets back to normal

  • Nine incoming flights from eight countries will be allowed to land in the Chinese capital from Thursday
  • Easing of restrictions imposed in late March over fears of imported cases

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International flights will resume in limited numbers to Beijing starting on Thursday. Photo: AFP
Jun Mai

The Chinese capital will allow inbound flights from eight countries from Thursday, easing a five-month ban on international passenger services in another sign that life is returning to normal in Beijing.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China said on Wednesday that Beijing would reopen to nine international flights from eight countries: Thailand, Cambodia, Pakistan, Greece, Denmark, Austria, Sweden and Canada.

The countries were given the green light because of their low incidence of Covid-19, the administration said.
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The first flight will arrive in Beijing from Phnom Penh in Cambodia on Thursday.

The decision effectively ends a ban on all inbound international flights to Beijing imposed in late March over concerns of imported cases of Covid-19.

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But Chinese authorities have tightened Covid-19 testing rules, requiring all passengers to present a negative test result from three days – rather than the previous five days – before departure.

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