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Home » Analysis » Is Chinese Airline Ban From United States A Bluff?
Analysis

Is Chinese Airline Ban From United States A Bluff?

Matthew Klint Posted onJune 3, 2020November 14, 2023 14 Comments

a plane on the runway

As tensions escalate between the United States and China, the Trump Administration plans to block Chinese airlines from serving the United States. But the goal is not to block Chinese airlines, but to ensure great connectivity between the two nations. So is this all a bluff?

U.S. Announces Ban On Chinese Airlines Effective June 16th

Blaming a violation of the bilateral right to conduct scheduled passenger service between the USA and Mainland China, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it would suspend scheduled passenger options of all Chinese carriers to the USA. The move impacts the following carriers:

  • Air China
  • Beijing Capital Airlines
  • China Eastern Airlines
  • China Southern Airlines
  • Hainan Airlines
  • Sichuan Airlines
  • Xiamen Airlines

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific and Taiwan-based China Airlines or EVA Airways will not be impacted.

The DOT points to the U.S.-China Civil Air Transport Agreement, which holds:

“Each Party shall take all appropriate action to ensure that there exist fair and equal rights for the designated airlines of both Parties to operate the agreed services on the specified routes so as to achieve equality of opportunity, reasonable balance and mutual benefit.”

China’s new policy only allows airlines that were operating between the United States and China on March 12, 2020 to operate one scheduled flight per week. During the peak of COVID-19, U.S. airlines suspended all service to China while Chinese airlines maintained a small number of flights to the USA. As a result, China’s “neutral” policy permits only Chinese carriers to fly between the two countries.

Noting that such a policy is represents unreasonable arbitrariness, the U.S. has now issued the flight ban. The DOT will also closely scrutinize Chinese charter flights, which is alleges may have been used as a workaround to the 1x-weekly flight limit.

Is Chinese Airline Ban A Bluff Or A Calculated Move Meant To Restore Air Service?

Folks, this isn’t about COVID-19, despite what the 共匪 or 五毛 warriors might have us believe. It’s not like Chinese citizens, including the thousands of students in the United States, only fly on Chinese airlines. It is perfectly justifiable for China to block foreign visitors, including U.S. citizens, while still allowing U.S. carriers to operate flights. That’s what the treaty demands.

But China and the US are fighting over COVID-19, Hong Kong, and trade, with both nations grasping at straws to save face. This is just the latest distraction.

The U.S. move is justified. It is simply meant to even the balance between U.S. and Chinese carriers. The arbitrary baseline date of March 12th is unjustifiable. Concerns over COVID-19 or civil unrest in the USA are simply a distraction.

Is this a bluff? Will the U.S. backdown if China holds firm? Initially, I’d say the answer is unlikely. But with COVID-19 largely under control in Asia and the U.S. economy still dependent upon foreign trade, we will need transport between the United States and China. A ban cannot go on for long. In that sense, any sort of ban will likely be short-lived.

CONCLSUION

Here’s the plan. The U.S. has now blocked Chinese carriers from flying to the Untied States. Hopefully, Beijing will loosen its policy and allow U.S. carriers to operate on the same terms as Chinese carriers between the USA and the Mainland. Delta and United wish to resume service…that will hardly rock the boat. And in the meantime, Cathay Pacific should brace for a sudden surge in demand.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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14 Comments

  1. Jeff Reply
    June 3, 2020 at 1:38 pm

    Not sure how you reach the conclusion that CX and BR/CI will benefit from this policy. Taiwan still does not allow transit passengers although there are multiple flights between TPE and mainland China. Meantime, HKIA does not allow transit passengers from/to mainland China.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      June 3, 2020 at 1:59 pm

      HKG transit to Mainland is currently suspended, but not all land borders are closed.

      • usr22 Reply
        June 3, 2020 at 2:37 pm

        Mainlaind citizens currently cannot enter HK if they were arriving from a foreign country. So even if land borders are open, they are useless to mainland citizens.

        • Matthew Klint Reply
          June 3, 2020 at 3:18 pm

          I’m not stating a general policy, but some who have hold both passports may be able to get home via Hong Kong or even Taiwan.

  2. James Reply
    June 3, 2020 at 1:39 pm

    Folks, this isn’t about COVID-19, despite what the 共匪 or 五毛 warriors might have us believe. It’s not like Chinese citizens, including the thousands of students in the Untied States, only fly on Chinese airlines. It is perfectly justifiable for China to block foreign visitors, including U.S. citizens, while still allowing U.S. carriers to operate flights.

    I guess you don’t understand much. Why does China have the 5-1 policy? Why would you say “it is perfectly justifiable to block foreign visitors, including US citizens”? Shows how much you understand. It is about blocking Chinese citizens, practically the only ones who can enter China now, by making it so they physically have no way of returning.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      June 3, 2020 at 1:50 pm

      If it is “about blocking Chinese citizens, practically the only ones who can enter China now, by making it so they physically have no way of returning,” then why block U.S. airlines from transporting them home and transporting cargo between the USA and China?

      • James Reply
        June 3, 2020 at 3:12 pm

        Because that would be more people coming in?
        Is it only US airlines blocked?

        • Matthew Klint Reply
          June 3, 2020 at 3:14 pm

          Yes, per Chinese authorities.

  3. Andy K Reply
    June 3, 2020 at 2:44 pm

    I think that as long as viruses are coming out of China, this is a good policy.

  4. ps241 Reply
    June 3, 2020 at 7:17 pm

    “Delta and Untied wish to resume service” – “Untied” ??

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      June 3, 2020 at 7:45 pm

      That has become an auto-correct problem. Wish I could figure out how to make it stop happening.

  5. ron Reply
    June 5, 2020 at 12:53 am

    Makes sense. We have seen enough of CCP antics. If they intend to play global games than global rules apply. It cannot be one sided.
    Anyway it is good there is more than one China so we have choice. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao are great other countries.

  6. Kevin Reply
    June 5, 2020 at 3:48 am

    Please do not confuse Taiwan with Hong Kong and China. Hong Kong is a Chinese dependent currently administered as a SAR of China, but Taiwan is a fully independent country with its own border control and foreign policy. Flights between Taiwan and the United States has nothing to do with “mainland,” or more accurately, PR China. I don’t understand why you are confusing Taiwan with China. Would you ever confuse Germany with Austria, or the Republic of Ireland with the UK???

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      June 5, 2020 at 9:53 am

      Relax Kevin. You know full well that the Mainland claims Taiwan. I certainly view it as independent nation. But the reason I mentioned it is because so many flights between the Mainland and Tapei remain.

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