Coronavirus: US to limit some Chinese flights to 40 per cent capacity
- Beijing imposed similar sanctions on four United Airlines flights after five passengers from San Francisco to Shanghai allegedly tested positive for Covid-19
- The US order affects four total flights over four weeks – one each from Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines Co and Xiamen Airlines
The US Transportation Department on Wednesday said it will limit some flights from Chinese carriers to 40 per cent passenger capacity for four weeks after the Chinese government imposed similar limits on four United Airlines flights.
China told United on August 6 it was imposing sanctions after it alleged five passengers who travelled from San Francisco to Shanghai tested positive for Covid-19 on July 21.
The US order said the department will limit over a four-week period each of four Chinese carriers to 40 per cent capacity on a single China-US flight.
United Airlines and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately comment.
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The US government says China’s “circuit breaker” policy violates the nations’ air services agreement and “places undue culpability on carriers with respect to travellers that test positive for Covid-19 after their arrival in China”.
The department added carriers “have no means to independently verify positive test results alleged by Chinese authorities. Furthermore, there is no way to establish where or when a traveller may have contracted.”