US says it will allow more flights by Chinese airlines to match number

The Biden administration will let Chinese airlines add more flights to the U.S. to match the number of flights that China allows U.S. airlines to fly between the two nations.

The Transportation Department said it will let Chinese airlines increase from eight to 12 U.S.-China round trips per week. That is still a fraction of the flights that were allowed between the two countries before the pandemic.

The Transportation Department said in a filing Wednesday that it was acting in response to China’s announcement in late December that it would lift certain restrictions on international passenger flights.

China’s move allowed American Airlines to add two weekly flights in March between Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Shanghai,