Domestic travel restrictions have been lifted in several areas in China as the country recovers from the adverse effects of the pandemic to its local travel market. A report claimed that China has been the most significant business travel market globally and that the Chinese market is bound to recover despite apparent differences in airline operations.
China has resumed its domestic travel operations, but importing infection remains a significant concern in the industry. Despite the resumption of domestic travel, international flights directly into China's capital city of Beijing remain closed. According to International SOS Americas regional security director Matt Bradley, China's Civil Aviation Administration allows airlines under its authority to maintain a single route to any country. Still, it cannot exceed more than one flight per week.
According to Fox News, passengers slowly return to airlines to garner access to China. Last Wednesday, China's aviation regulator announced that the number of daily transported air passengers rose to 7.9 percent in the previous month. There has also been a 29 percent improvement in passenger volume compared to 2019 values during the same period.
The airlines allowed to do these travels include Air China, China Eastern, Capital Airlines, GX Airlines, China Southern, Hainan Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, Shandong Airlines, XiamenAir, and Sichuan Airlines. According to BCD Travel Greater China managing director Jonathan Kao, there is also a 4,000-passenger limit of flights entering China. There has been a 97 percent drop in flight numbers before the pandemic struck. On top of this, visa restrictions have been maintained by China in select locations making foreign entry more challenging nowadays.
The government also temporarily suspends routes to countries that experience a flare-up of pandemic cases. According to WorldAware founder and CEO Bruce McIndoe, major airports compel passengers to undergo three temperature checks and visual inspections before they are allowed entry to aircraft. Social distancing and the wearing of masks are also required measures in airports.
Those arriving from abroad are also compelled to undergo a 14-day quarantine check. Kao added that authorities would take passengers to a hotel or facility covered by medical staff. These passengers would be situated in separate rooms where they need to stay for 14 days and undergo a nucleic acid test. The measures were said to be China's mandatory protocol to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
Some Chinese companies are still focused on repatriating its travelers from other countries. Beijing-based technology company BTN travel manager claimed that the greatest challenge of the travel industry is bringing people back to their home countries. He also noted that there are still people stuck in India that hope to come home in China.
