If you’ve tried booking a flight from Beijing to New York or Washington lately, you might’ve noticed something odd: direct options are MIA 🕵️♂️. With airfares soaring and choices slim, travelers are asking: 'Where did all the flights go?'
Before COVID-19, over 150 weekly round-trip flights connected China and the U.S. Now, even as borders reopen, only 50 weekly flights are approved for Chinese carriers – a fraction of pre-pandemic levels. While both countries recently agreed to boost flights (up from 35 to 50 per week), East Coast routes remain conspicuously empty 🧳.
Why the slow rebound? There’s no 'open skies' agreement here – flight numbers depend on negotiations between aviation regulators. The U.S. Department of Transportation and China’s Civil Aviation Administration carefully calibrate permissions, creating a delicate dance of reciprocity 🌏.
This scarcity hits hard as China rolls out visa-free entry for 12+ countries (🇫🇷🇩🇪🇮🇹 included). Business pros and students alike are stuck with pricey layovers in Seoul or Tokyo. One aviation insider quipped: 'It’s like both sides agree the runway’s open… but forgot to fuel the planes.' ✈️
With tourism and trade at stake, all eyes are on whether summer travel demand will push regulators to fast-track more routes. Until then? Pack snacks for that layover in Vancouver 🍁.
