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

China’s aviation regulator said Wednesday that it hopes countries will lift virus-related travel restrictions as soon as possible, in line with guidance from the WHO and ICAO. The Civil Aviation Administration of China will continue to lobby authorities to subsidize airlines hurt by travel curbs due to the coronavirus, said Xiong Jie, a CAAC official. 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.<br/>