The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDT) has greenlit the addition of six more flights operated by Chinese airlines, effective from September 1. This announcement marks the second expansion of flight schedules for Chinese carriers since May this year.

The airlines in question are Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines. These carriers will predominantly offer flights to Los Angeles and New York. The newly approved routes include Air China’s Beijing to Los Angeles and Beijing to New York flights, both operating once a week. China Eastern Airlines will operate flights from Shanghai to Los Angeles twice a week, while China Southern Airlines will fly from Guangzhou to Los Angeles, also twice per week.

From September 1, Chinese airlines will collectively operate up to 18 direct flights between the two countries every week. This number is projected to increase to 24 flights per week starting October 29, 2023, according to the USDT.

Recent data from travel platform Qunar.com revealed a lower average ticket price of around 8,500 yuan ($1,108) for the Shanghai to Los Angeles route in September, marking a 25 percent decrease compared to two weeks prior. However, despite this progress, the number of two-way flights still lags behind the 2019 levels.

Prior to the pandemic in 2020, there were 332 weekly flights between China and the U.S. Currently, the capacity is under 10 percent of pre-pandemic levels, indicating that the high demand for passenger travel remains unmet. Analyst Lin Zhijie pointed out that while the recovery momentum of China’s domestic routes has been robust, international routes still face challenges.

This expansion of flights by Chinese airlines comes in response to three U.S. carriers also adding China-bound routes. Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and United Airlines Holdings are all increasing their flight schedules to cater to growing travel demand between the two countries.

It was previously stated by the USDT that starting September 1, each country will be permitted six weekly round-trip flights, up from the current 12 flights. This figure is set to double to 24 per week from October 29.

(Disclaimer: This news is sourced from official channels.)