Chinese airlines battered by Beijing's zero-virus crackdown
China has ramped up flight cancellations under its zero-COVID strategy, wreaking further havoc on an airline industry already smarting from the pandemic. Circuit breakers that suspend international routes for up to eight weeks are triggered if five or more COVID-19 cases are found among passengers after arrival. Maintenance, disinfection and staff supervision have also been upgraded. 2021 saw a total of 603 flights grounded under these measures. In the new year alone, 198 flights were suspended through Jan. 13, reaching almost a third of last year's numbers in just two weeks. "We're determined to prevent an influx from overseas as well as a domestic rebound" in the number of cases, said Han Guangzu, DG of the flight standards department at the Civil Aviation Administration of China, to reporters Jan. 15 when presenting the latest figures. This uptick in circuit breakers comes in response to the spread of the omicron variant. There had been 408 international arrivals and departures per week scheduled between late October 2021 and late March 2022. January's circuit breakers led to a quarter of these being canceled during the first two weeks of the year. This year, China Southern was forced to suspend flights to Toronto, Canada, while China Eastern Airlines put flights to Paris on hold. Flights by American Airlines and Lufthansa have been subject to similar restrictions. But Chinese airlines operating internationally have taken the brunt of the crackdown. Chinese carriers account for 56% of the international flights planned for about half a year through late March, giving them more exposure to the circuit breakers. At China's three biggest carriers, international flights, including those to Hong Kong and Macao, made up less than 1% of their passenger volume -- a big drop from the pre-coronavirus 17%. China's coronavirus response depressed revenue from lucrative international routes and damaged earnings at the top three. Each reported a net loss of roughly $1b for the three quarters ended September. Full-year results are expected to similarly disappoint.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2022-01-27/general/chinese-airlines-battered-by-beijings-zero-virus-crackdown
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Chinese airlines battered by Beijing's zero-virus crackdown
China has ramped up flight cancellations under its zero-COVID strategy, wreaking further havoc on an airline industry already smarting from the pandemic. Circuit breakers that suspend international routes for up to eight weeks are triggered if five or more COVID-19 cases are found among passengers after arrival. Maintenance, disinfection and staff supervision have also been upgraded. 2021 saw a total of 603 flights grounded under these measures. In the new year alone, 198 flights were suspended through Jan. 13, reaching almost a third of last year's numbers in just two weeks. "We're determined to prevent an influx from overseas as well as a domestic rebound" in the number of cases, said Han Guangzu, DG of the flight standards department at the Civil Aviation Administration of China, to reporters Jan. 15 when presenting the latest figures. This uptick in circuit breakers comes in response to the spread of the omicron variant. There had been 408 international arrivals and departures per week scheduled between late October 2021 and late March 2022. January's circuit breakers led to a quarter of these being canceled during the first two weeks of the year. This year, China Southern was forced to suspend flights to Toronto, Canada, while China Eastern Airlines put flights to Paris on hold. Flights by American Airlines and Lufthansa have been subject to similar restrictions. But Chinese airlines operating internationally have taken the brunt of the crackdown. Chinese carriers account for 56% of the international flights planned for about half a year through late March, giving them more exposure to the circuit breakers. At China's three biggest carriers, international flights, including those to Hong Kong and Macao, made up less than 1% of their passenger volume -- a big drop from the pre-coronavirus 17%. China's coronavirus response depressed revenue from lucrative international routes and damaged earnings at the top three. Each reported a net loss of roughly $1b for the three quarters ended September. Full-year results are expected to similarly disappoint.<br/>
