Ever since the CAAC announced the new Five-One policy, airlines on both sides have been making moves behind the scenes. United and Delta have both received approval in Shanghai to obtain ground handling services. Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Civil Aviation Administration of China each agreed to a plan allowing Chinese and U.S. airlines to operate a total of 4 weekly flights apiece. As a result, the number of nonstop flights from the U.S. back to China jumps significantly to 8 per week, which is great news for those hoping to return to China.
Today, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) formally notified the U.S. Department of Transportation that United and Delta had both received all necessary approvals from the Chinese side and could each operate 2 weekly flights. The DOT therefore viewed the CAAC’s recent policy as a positive development. Accordingly, in the public interest, the DOT decided to amend its prior order and likewise approve Chinese airlines to operate a total of 4 weekly China–U.S. flights. This order takes effect immediately.
Interestingly, the DOT wrote in its order that the two U.S. carriers operating more than 1 flight was allowed under a provision in the earlier “circuit breaker” policy, and therefore did not violate that policy. I read it several times and still could not fully figure out the logic. Perhaps the CAAC is directly treating both UA and DL as airlines that had gone 3 weeks with zero confirmed cases.
Keep an eye on upcoming flights. United and Delta may not be able to restart service in time for this week, but service could resume starting next week. My guess is that the weekly flight days may also remain the same, so ground resources can be scheduled as efficiently as possible.