Beijing-Bound Flights Could First Stop in Wuhan

International flights to Beijing could be diverted to Wuhan under new rules that also pave the way for Shanghai to take more direct overseas flights.

The changes, effective June 8, mean travelers headed to Beijing will first be diverted to one of 16 cities, including China’s original outbreak ground zero of Wuhan, as well as Chengdu, Changsha, Hefei, and Lanzhou, to undergo Covid-19 tests. Under previous rules, they were being diverted to 12 cities, including Shanghai, which has now been removed from the list.

Changes to China’s flight restrictions have been closely watched, particularly by Chinese students now overseas waiting for a chance to return home, and by foreign nationals unable to enter the country who are looking for any sign authorities may lift a separate travel ban.

A source in Shanghai’s Civil Aviation Administration told Caixin the removal of the city as a first port of entry for international flights to Beijing was part of preparations for it to take on more direct inbound flights of its own.

“Foreign airlines are scrambling to enter China via Shanghai,” said the person, to whom Caixin granted anonymity to allow them to speak candidly.

Shanghai’s Pudong Airport began to serve as a first entry point for Beijing flights on March 23. Since then it has received more than 2,600 flights, including those which went on the capital.

On June 4, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued new rules that expanded the number of foreign airlines potentially allowed to fly to China under the so-called Phase Five policy, known in Chinese as “five-one.”

Previously, airlines that had ceased flights to China at the height of the nation’s Covid-19 outbreak were not able to resume flights even though the outbreak was brought under control.

The policy opened up another source of acrimony between the U.S. and China, and on June 3 the Trump administration announced it would ban all Chinese passenger flights from landing in the country, after major American airlines failed to obtain approval to resume service to China.

China blinked, with the CAAC saying the next day it would allow foreign airlines that previously operated flights to China but are now barred under virus control measures to resume limited service.

The U.S. then scrapped the proposed ban.

After the June 4 decision, China said any foreign airline can now nominate one of 37 cities that have been set up to screen inbound passengers and operate one international passenger flight there per week. Carriers will have additional flights added, or be penalized by having them stripped, depending on how many of their inbound passengers test positive for Covid-19.

A CAAC spokesperson said in a June 4 statement made through the bureau’s official news service that the change would affect some 95 foreign airlines. But given ongoing travel restrictions in other countries, it would probably add only around 50 new passenger flights to China each week, bringing the total to 150. Following the changes, about 4,700 people will be expected to fly to China each day.

People seeking to fly to Beijing will be diverted for screening to any of Chengdu, Changsha, Hefei, Lanzhou, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Hohhot, Jinan, Qingdao, Nanjing, Shenyang, Dalian, Zhengzhou, Xi’an and Wuhan, where they could find themselves forced to remain in quarantine if they or others on their flight test positive for the coronavirus. They have been advised to check with their airlines for details.

Even as the number of international flights into China remains relatively small, domestic air travel has continued to recover, recently hitting 60% of last year’s trip volume.

Contact reporter Flynn Murphy (flynnmurphy@caixin.com) and editor Joshua Dummer (joshuadummer@caixin.com)