US, China agree to increase airline flights between them to 8 per week

The US and China have agreed to allow air carriers to double the current flights to eight weekly round-trip flights.

According to a statement released by the US Department of Transportation, "The Department of Transportation issued an Order that to allow the four Chinese airlines currently performing scheduled passenger services to the United States to increase their services to eight weekly round-trip flights. This aggregate level of service is equivalent to the total number of flights now permitted by the Chinese aviation authorities for U.S. carriers."

The US airlines had halted their operations amid the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump had barred all non-US citizens from travelling from China to the country.

The Department's Order will modify the previous decisions made in June to enable those qualified Chinese carriers to increase services to the United States, as China has permitted for U.S. carriers, the statement read.

The United Airlines and Delta will be operating their flights four times each every week.

"The Order also indicates our willingness to further revisit our action should the Chinese aviation authorities adjust their policies to bring about the necessary improved situation for U.S. carriers in which both they and the Chinese carriers could fully exercise their bilateral rights," the Department said.