# China’s international flight suspensions leave travellers stranded, hurt businesses Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-01-20 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: China Foreign Passengers Face Airline Cancellations Due to Meta Description: China's zero-COVID policy and flight cancellations leave expats like Dwight Law stranded, posing threats to businesses and lives amid the pandemic. URL: https://financedigest.com/chinas-international-flight-suspensions-leave-travellers-stranded-hurt-businesseshtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-01-20t050152z4lynxmpei0j061rtroptp4china-aviation-usa-flights-1736816293578-compressed.jpg) By Stella Qiu and Jamie Freed BEIJING/SYDNEY (Reuters) – When Dwight Law’s father died in November, the Shanghai-based U.S. expat flew back to Kansas, leaving his wife and dog behind in [China while he attended to matters relating to his father’s death](https://www.financedigest.com/china-records-worlds-first-human-death-from-h3n8-bird-flu-who.html "China records world’s first human death from H3N8 bird flu -WHO"). Law, who runs an architecture and design firm, has lived in Shanghai for 20 years and had [expected to return](https://www.financedigest.com/lufthansa-expects-further-significant-improvement-after-return-to-profit.html "Lufthansa expects further ‘significant improvement’ after return to profit") last week. But with dozens of flights between [China and the United States suspended by Chinese authorities because of passengers testing positive for COVID-19 on arrival](https://www.financedigest.com/china-arrivals-in-uk-next-week-will-not-face-compulsory-covid-tests-independent.html "China arrivals in UK next week will not face compulsory COVID tests -Independent"), finding a flight back even in February is proving near-impossible and posing a threat to Law’s company. Now with no flights scheduled, I am currently locked out of China, away from my [wife and family and not able to attend](https://www.financedigest.com/uks-prince-harry-and-wife-meghan-will-attend-celebrations-for-queen-elizabeth.html "UK’s Prince Harry and wife Meghan will attend celebrations for Queen Elizabeth") to business,” Law said. “I have 50 employees in China. Without my presence, the [business will suffer and so will the livelihoods of each employee.”](https://www.financedigest.com/why-investing-in-employee-health-can-be-good-for-business.html "Why investing in employee health can be good for business") Even before the latest flight cancellations, international capacity to and from China was running at just 2% of pre-COVID levels as the [country sticks to a strict zero-COVID policy of stamping out all cases while other parts of world](https://www.financedigest.com/richest-countries-in-the-world.html "Richest countries in the world") open up. The zero-COVID mentality is likely to stay for most of 2022, Bank of America Securities analysts said in a note on Tuesday, in bad news for the 845,000 [foreign passport holders in China](https://www.financedigest.com/first-foreign-covid-vaccines-head-to-china-from-germany.html "First foreign COVID vaccines head to China from Germany"), a number already reduced since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. China’s aviation regulator in January alone cancelled 143 return flights as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads across the globe, [according to a report](https://www.financedigest.com/worst-flooding-since-1998-leaves-33bn-economic-toll-in-china-according-to-aon-catastrophe-report.html "Worst flooding since 1998 leaves bn economic toll in China, according to Aon catastrophe report") from Chinese aviation data provider flight master last Friday. That was the most in a month since it introduced a policy of suspending flights when [positive cases](https://www.financedigest.com/italy-probes-meta-over-abuse-of-position-in-music-rights-case.html "Italy probes Meta over abuse of position in music rights case") were found in June 2020. The flight suspensions, which also include some services to Europe and other parts of Asia, are one of the biggest challenges faced by [companies doing business](https://www.financedigest.com/keeping-an-eye-on-company-purse-strings-where-do-businesses-go-wrong.html "Keeping an eye on company purse strings – where do businesses go wrong?") in China, said a spokesperson for the Europe Chamber of Commerce in China. The [recent cancellations send a clear message that China will not deviate from its current strategy,”](https://www.financedigest.com/automotive-hmi-system-market-recent-industry-developments-and-growth-strategies-adopted-by-players.html "Automotive HMI System Market: Recent Industry Developments and Growth Strategies Adopted by Players") the spokesperson said, referring to the zero-COVID policy. Graphic: China’s [international flight](https://www.financedigest.com/internal-flights-hundreds-of-pounds-cheaper-than-rail-journeys.html "Internal flights hundreds of pounds cheaper than rail journeys") suspensions – https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-AVIATION/USA-FLIGHTS/lbvgnjerbpq/chart.png China now requires passengers to have started costly [COVID](https://www.financedigest.com/oil-hits-3-week-high-as-china-eases-covid-curbs.html "Oil hits 3-week high as China eases COVID curbs") tests seven days before boarding in the departure city of their direct flight into China. That creates a [headache for travellers](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-aviation-nurses-a-nasty-headache-as-travel-recovers-from-covid.html "Analysis-Aviation nurses a nasty headache as travel recovers from COVID") like Law who are not based in U.S. [cities with direct](https://www.financedigest.com/from-property-to-culture-to-foreign-direct-investment-liverpool-is-showing-other-uk-cities-how-its-done.html "From property to culture to foreign direct investment, Liverpool is showing other UK cities how it’s done") flights. Tough [travel policies](https://www.financedigest.com/where-does-your-travel-policy-end-and-gadget-insurance-begin.html "Where does your travel policy end and gadget insurance begin?") in transit hubs for U.S.-China travellers like Taiwan, Korea and [Japan also effectively rule](https://www.financedigest.com/japan-weighs-relaxing-border-rules-on-covid-media.html "Japan weighs relaxing border rules on COVID -media") out less costly indirect flights. A [Google Flights search](https://www.financedigest.com/a-year-in-property-google-searches-reveal-what-buyers-were-looking-for-this-year.html "A year in property: Google searches reveal what buyers were looking for this year") by Reuters shows no flights from San Francisco to Shanghai are available for booking until late March at any price. Jing Quan, minister of the Chinese embassy in the United States, said Beijing is working closely with the U.S. State Department to [strike a balance on the number](https://www.financedigest.com/uks-december-shopper-numbers-defy-inflation-and-rail-strikes-hit.html "UK’s December shopper numbers defy inflation and rail strikes hit") of commercial flights to China. Charter flights for Olympics athletes have not been affected, he said. There has also been less of an impact on cargo. [China Southern Airlines plans](https://www.financedigest.com/birmingham-lines-up-post-brexit-housing-plan-with-a-little-help-from-its-friends-in-china.html "Birmingham lines up post-Brexit housing plan, with a little help from its friends in China") to fly its A380 superjumbos with cargo only from Los Angeles to Guangzhou, while carrying passengers in the other direction, it told the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Hainan Airlines has received U.S. approvals for cargo-only flights using passenger planes and China Eastern is seeking a similar nod, according to DOT filings. While that is a comfort to exporters, it provides little solace to stranded travellers like Law. “COVID will not go away I am afraid. It is here to stay,” he said. What’s China going to do, close its borders for the next five or 10 years while the [world outside of China learns to manage](https://www.financedigest.com/marketmind-purchasing-managers-of-the-world-diverge.html "Marketmind: Purchasing managers of the world, diverge"), live and gain herd immunity? It’s nuts.” (Reporting by Stella Qiu in Beijing and Jamie Freed in Sydney; additional reporting by Martin Pollard in Shanghai; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---