International Restrictions Expected to Continue Until October

Original Joey Knotts theBeijinger

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Heavy restrictions on international air travel into China will continue until at least October, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) announced Tuesday. The news comes as a blow to many foreigners who are eagerly awaiting the end of China’s visa ban, as it indicates that a return to China could be difficult even if the ban is lifted.

The flight restrictions in question are known as the "Five Ones," meaning that each country can only send one airline to and from China via one route, once per week.

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The necessity to clarify the minimum duration of the Five Ones policy arose as many airlines, forced to protect their precious airport slots, would release their itineraries and allow passengers to book flights just in case the policy was suddenly lifted – some airlines were expecting to restore several routes to China in June.

As a result, many consumers were given false hope of boarding an international flight that was inevitably dashed when the flights were canceled. The CAAC has effectively put a stop to this practice, and are banning airlines from selling tickets before flights resume.

Meanwhile, domestic flights continue to pick up as the average passenger load has now exceeded 60 percent and more than 10,000 routes are flying per day. This speedy recovery has been attributed to the downgrading of Beijing’s risk level as well as the increased flight demand due to the reopening of schools and the ongoing Two Sessions.