US officials modify ban on Chinese airlines

US officials on Friday pulled back on their plan to severely restrict Chinese airlines from offering commercial passenger service to the US, saying they would now allow those carriers to operate the same number of flights that China is allowing US carriers to operate between the two countries. The move comes after China announced changes to rules that had previously barred US carriers from restarting air service between the United States and China. On Thursday, China announced changes to rules that would allow international carriers, including US airlines, to operate one weekly flight each between the two countries. The number of flights could be increased if carriers met certain conditions related to the health status of passengers. The shift clears the way for Delta and United airlines to restart service between the two countries. Beijing revised its policy after US officials announced Wednesday that they would ban Chinese airlines from offering service between the US and China beginning June 16 due to limitations on American carriers. While not an outright ban, the move by US officials would have ended flights operated by Chinese airlines. <br/>