China Plans to Increase International Flights Starting This Weekend

(Bloomberg) — China plans to increase the number of international flights operated by domestic and foreign airlines to 840 a week from Oct. 30 to March 25. That’s a jump of 106% from October 2021 to late March this year but still way below pre-pandemic levels.

The announcement at a Civil Aviation Administration of China briefing Wednesday follows the country’s major airlines saying earlier this month they planned to put on more international flights. While China is sticking with Covid lockdowns and mass testing, the moves signal a marginal easing of border curbs that have wiped out international travel and bruised the world’s second-biggest economy.