China's aviation regulator hopes countries will lift virus-related travel curbs soon

The Civil Aviation Administration will continue to lobby authorities to subsidise airlines hurt by travel curbs

BEIJING: China’s aviation regulator said on Wednesday that it hopes countries will lift virus-related travel restrictions as soon as possible, in line with guidance from the World Health Organisation and International Civil Aviation Organisation.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China will continue to lobby authorities to subsidise airlines hurt by travel curbs due to the coronavirus, Xiong Jie, a CAAC official, told a media briefing.

The regulator will also support mergers among airlines and help them optimize capacity arrangements so they can weather a difficult time, Xiong said.



“The coronaviurs has had a huge impact on the civil aviation industry, which resulted in significant reductions in flight volume and could create new or spill-over safety risks,” Xiong said.

Passenger traffic declined 5.3% in January from a year earlier, compared with a growth rate of 7.9% for 2019.

For international flights affected by the coronavirus, the CAAC, in communication with other aviation authorities, will strive to retain the rights and landing slots for airlines, Xiong said, adding that flights would be restored as soon as possible.