Korean airlines hit unexpected snag from China

Local airlines, desperate to find alternative routes to offset the decline in sales of tickets to Japan, are now facing unexpected challenges from China as Beijing has decided to bar foreign-based carriers from launching new scheduled routes to the country or expanding their operations there for two months. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Thursday, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) notified local airlines of its decision not to receive applications for new routes or expansions of existing ones until Oct. 10. However, the existing air service will continue, the ministry added. The unexpected decision is dealing a hard blow to local carriers, shifting focus from Japan to China and Southeast Asia, as more Koreans are ditching Japan as a popular holiday destination in response to Tokyo's export restrictions on Seoul. "The CAAC said the decision was part of safety and security controls, but we do not know the exact reason," an industry official said. "It is unprecedented for a country to ban additional routes after it has approved new routes. There is speculation that the Chinese government's move is due to the Hong Kong crisis, trying to re-adjust its local flights that are bound for Hong Kong." In May, Seoul and Beijing agreed to provide additional flight rights for local airlines to newly launch or expand existing flights to China.<br/>