In an effort to increase aviation travel, China is developing methods to mitigate the effects of its zero-COVID policy.
As China draws closer to ending its global isolation, the State Council of China urged the country’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) to get ready for gradual but significant changes in existing aviation traffic. Bloomberg reported this information, citing industry sources.
The administration wants to restore aviation traffic to pre-pandemic levels, according to persons with knowledge of the situation, though it is unclear when the plan might be implemented.
In comparison to the same time last year, the CAAC predicts that the number of international passenger flights into the nation could treble between October 2022 and March 2023.
According to reports, the administration is thinking of relaxing the requirement that visitors remain isolated for 10 days after entering the nation.
According to the sources, in an effort to reduce the financial burden and increase air traffic, officials may reduce the need to two days of mandatory quarantine in a hotel and five days of self-isolation at home.
Additionally, according to reports, the government will keep cutting short the time it prohibits certain travel routes when it discovers that individuals on arriving international aircraft have COVID-19 positivity.
In accordance with the previous regulation, if the government discovered five or more confirmed COVID-19 cases, airlines were required to halt operations on specific routes into China for up to two weeks.
In August 2022, China modified its aviation regulations. If 4% or more of the passengers on a flight are infected, inbound routes are suspended for one week; 8% or more results in a two-week ban.
