US-China air pact hits roadblock
Talks over easing restrictions in the number of flights between the US and China have stalled after officials fear US airlines will be awarded inconvenient timings for slots.
China offered to allow more flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou from US cities but an unnamed Chinese aviation official says the US is holding out for better timings.
"In the past, the Chinese side was not as enthusiastic as the Americans when it came to market liberalisation because we didn’t need that many flights, but it’s the other way around now," the source said, according to a Reuters report.
The booming airline market in China has created congestion at airports with few conveniently timed slots left.
Aside from fast growing domestic routes, restrictions on Chinese airspace by the military also causes congestion, the report said.
The US has asked for reform of the slot allocation process as it says it heavily favors Chinese carriers, an unnamed official on the US negotiation team said.
Currently, Chinese airlines are permitted to operate 180 round-trip flights a week to the US, while US carriers can fly 160 times a week to the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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