Direct passenger flights between China and US to increase

More direct passenger flights between China and the United States will be operating since March 31, continuing recovery from the epidemic.

Air China will increase the number of direct passenger flights between China and the US to 14 every week from 11 starting March 31.

"Compared to the pre-pandemic days in 2019, the number of flights between China and the US will resume to about 20 percent," said Liu Peng from Air China. 

He also noted that since China starts the new civil aviation season on March 31, Air China's international flights will experience a significant increase compared to last year.

"The volume of international flights will reach over 80 percent of the level in 2019," he said, adding that more capacity will be deployed to routes such as China-Germany, China-Italy, China-Spain and China-Northern Europe.

According to Dai Jun, deputy director of the operation center of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, Chinese and American airlines will be allowed to operate 100 round trips per week starting March 31. 

China aims to significantly increase direct flights to and from the United States, according to the administration's annual conference in January.

The number of direct flights between the two nations has recovered to 63 round trips per week as of the beginning of this year.

PENG CHENGCHENG contributed to this story.

luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn