Beijing reopens for international flights after Covid isolation

Beijing is welcoming back direct inbound passenger flights from overseas for the first time in more than two years as China eases parts of what is still the toughest pandemic border regime in the world. Air China’s website shows it restarted a direct flight from Paris once a week, while ANA will resume weekly flights from Narita in August. Meanwhile, Etihad Airways resumed direct flights to the capital in late June after China halved the length of time incoming travelers must spend in a quarantine facility to seven days, state broadcaster China National Radio reported earlier this month. China’s Civil Aviation Administration banned direct flights into Beijing from overseas in early 2020, making travel difficult. Anyone heading to the capital was required to first land at one of a list of pre-approved cities, where they would need to quarantine, before traveling onward. The aviation regulator said earlier this month that it’s gradually resuming international commercial flights and will continue to ramp up negotiations with certain countries to increase services. A representative for the agency didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. <br/>