In what looks like a ‘Tit for tat’, France earlier this week cut down the number of flights operated by Chinese Airlines to its Nation to one per-week. This was disclosed through a notice put up by French Embassy via its website.
Following the difficulties Air France encountered trying to gain flying rights to operate its allotted three services to China per week. The French authorities responded by allowing Chinese airlines fly only once per-week to Paris- but hopes a solution will be found soon-the French embassy in Beijing said.
“Air traffic between France and China is currently experiencing disruptions due to the imbalance in services between French and Chinese companies. Discussions are underway between the two governments with a view to reaching a solution satisfactory to both parties”.
“We will notify you when the situation returns to normal.”
According to Reuters, while it would be logical to think that these flight restrictions were something to do with worries over the spread of coronavirus or other biosecurity issues, the reality seems to be that it is a tit for tat restriction. it’s all about reciprocal flight rights.
Beijing had on July,12th authorized Air France to operate three flights a week to China. In return, France had permitted Air China, China Eastern and China Southern to operate a number of flights to Paris from various Chinese cities.