While most foreign airlines have made all the necessary name changes, China pointed out that three United States airlines have not made the changes on their websites at all. Reports claim that American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and United Airlines had yet to meet the requirements set forth by the Chinese aviation regulator.
China's new naming policy refers to the request made by the country on how foreign airlines refer to territories including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. The new naming policy not only covers foreign airlines but foreign companies and firms as well.
Beijing has issued a request that foreign companies, airlines in particular, do not refer to Taiwan as a non-Chinese territory on their respective websites. The request was immediately met with widespread criticism. The U.S., considered as the top critic of Chinese foreign policies, slammed Beijing's request and branded it as "Orwellian nonsense."
In a statement released late in July, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) stated that 40 of the 44 airlines have already adopted the new naming policy. The agency added that the airlines have opted to make the necessary changes to their websites.
Meanwhile, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and United Airlines, reported to CAAC that they are still on the process of making the necessary changes to their websites. The airlines asked for a two-week extension for them to be able to upload the new contents on their websites.
A recent check showed that American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines now only list Taipei's airport code and city, but not the name Taiwan on their websites, according to China Daily. Additionally, there is no mention of Taiwan or Taipei on the website of Hawaiian Airlines.
In a statement acquired by South China Morning Post, a United Airlines spokesperson said, "United abides by and respects local laws and regulations in all markets and jurisdictions where we operate and conduct business."
As of this writing, Beijing has yet to comment on how the country will punish those companies that will not comply with its requests. However, the country added a clause to the rules governing foreign airlines in a country which states that regulators have the power to change a company's operation permit if it did not comply with "the demand of public interest."
