A representational image of an Air China plane at Beijing airport
The US government said on Wednesday that it would block Chinese airlines from flying into their country, as a retaliatory measure to Beijing's policy keeping US airlines from flying into China, CNN reported. The US broadcaster reported that the new policy would take effect from June 16 but could take place earlier if President Donald Trump decides at an earlier date.
The US Transportation Department alleged that China was violating a pact on international travel between the two countries by keeping America's United Airlines and Delta Airlines from re-starting flight operations to mainland China, which were supposed to resume from June 1. Both the airlines, in addition to American, had suspended operations to the country in face of the coronavirus pandemic.
"The Department will continue to engage our Chinese counterparts so both U.S. and Chinese carriers can fully exercise their bilateral rights," the department said in a statement. "In the meantime, we will allow Chinese carriers to operate the same number of scheduled passenger flights as the Chinese government allows ours," as per the US Transportation Department statement cited by CNN.
