Getting on for 2 and a half years into the Pandemic, airlines flying to China are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. But would-be fliers should take heed of the experience of one passenger who was recently refused boarding.
As the Chinese Embassy in the USA started once again processing visas for non-resident-permit holders to visit China (e.g. for business purposes or to visit a family member), so too did airlines with flights to and from the Middle Kingdom begin breathing a collective sigh of relief.
Interestingly, one of the first countries to recommence its operations into China after a 2 year hiatus was the tiny joint home to Mount Everest, landlocked Nepal.
Himalaya Airlines began flying once again between Kathmandu and Kunming on 31 May, while Air China got back in the air between Chengdu and Kathmandu this past Sunday, 12 June.
Elsewhere, Hainan Airlines announced plans to start a service between Chonqing and Rome, the Italian capital, on 23 June, reports the Global Times. The flight shall be the first intercontinental passenger service out of Chongqing since the COVID shutdown. The service will also mark the Airline’s international debut out of China’s western municipality.
Since March of 2020, all airlines flying to and from China have been limited to just one flight per week in both directions. Now though, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has began to increase the quota allocated to airlines, beginning with Air China, China Southern Airlines and Hainan Airlines.
The number of weekly flights between the USA and China, for example, will this month be increased from 18 to 24.
And just yesterday, VietnamPlus reported that CAAC has also agreed to grant both Chinese and Vietnamese airlines the right to operate two weekly flights between the pair of countries.
It’s all great news for the airline industry, but there are still plenty of hoops for travellers to jump through, not least that nucleic acid test (NAT). And as one man recently found out, there’s not much sign of restrictions being relaxed in that department.
As The World Journal reports, a male passenger was all set for his flight from Shanghai to Chengdu on China Eastern, when he was refused boarding at the gate by the Airline’s Sichuan-based ground staff. The reason? His 48-hour NAT result had become invalid just 3 minutes earlier.
Should have bought a business class ticket.
