Travel Gossip: China-US Flights Increase to 100 a Week

Exciting news for travelers between China and the US: starting March 31, the number of weekly round-trip flights will see a significant boost.

USDT Announcement, February 26. Screenshot by That's

On February 26, the US Department of Transportation issued a new announcement, permitting Chinese airlines to operate up to 50 direct passenger flights between China and the US each week. 

This marks an increase from the current limit of 35 weekly flights for both Chinese and US carriers, as per the bilateral agreement reached in November 2023.

READ MORE: Travel Gossip: Direct China-US Routes on the Rise

Per the US Transportation Department's announcement, this measure is considered a crucial step in normalizing air travel between China and the US for the summer 2024 season, and the US looks forward to further collaboration with China. 

In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, US carriers will also be allowed to operate up to 50 weekly round-trip passenger flights between the two countries, making 100 flights total.

Currently, there are 66 weekly flights operating between China and the US, with Chinese carriers operating 35 flights and US carriers operating 31 flights. 

With the focus on maximizing profitability and considering the restrictions on flying over Russian airspace, US west coast cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco are expected to see the bulk of the increased flights.

As the number of flights between China and the US increases, ticket prices on the previously expensive routes have begun to drop, especially in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Despite the increase, the number of flights between China and the US will still remain far below the pre-pandemic level of approximately 300 flights per week.

The recovery rate is also slower compared to countries in Europe. According to global flight data, as of early this year, the flight recovery rate between China and the US was only 20.1%, while the recovery rate between China and Europe had already reached 84.1%. 

Meanwhile, flights between China and the UK, Middle East, and other destinations have surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

Are you planning to travel between China and the US soon? Share your travel plans with us! For more travel updates from China, follow our WeChat official account, ThatsGBA.

[Cover image via Billy Jiang/That's]