SHANGHAI, 4 May 2021: China has suspended Air France’s weekly flight to Shanghai for two weeks effective 10 May, Reuters reported last Friday.
Six passengers on an Air France flight, 20 April, tested positive for Covid-19 resulting in the Civil Aviation Administration of China issuing an order to suspend services.
Positive tests on arriving passengers lead to automatic flight suspensions under Chinese rules established last year with the easing of international flight curbs.
“These are the Chinese rules, and we will abide by them,” an Air France spokesman told Reuters, adding that the airline enforced “very strict testing requirements” ahead of departure.
Meanwhile, CAAC suspended China Southern Airlines’ Paris-Guangzhou service for two weeks, effective 3 May, after five passengers tested positive on a flight from Pari to Guangzhou service.
In a related move, the CAAC late last week adjusted rules for airlines flying to China after the US eased travel bans on Chinese students last Monday.
If five passengers test Covid-19 positive when disembarking at an airport in China, the airline can choose to suspend flights for two weeks, starting from the fourth week after its arrival, or it can continue to operate with the cabin factor not exceeding 40% of available seats for four weeks.
If infections reach 10 passengers, the flight will be suspended for four weeks, starting from the fourth week after its arrival. If the number of confirmed passengers reaches 10 on two consecutive flights, the suspension will start from that week and last for eight weeks.
If the number of confirmed passengers reaches 30 on a flight, the flight will be suspended starting from that week and last for four weeks.
The CAAC said the new rules took effect from 1 May.
(Source: Reuters and Global Times)
