"China Abolishes Transit Policy for International Flights to Beijing via Nearby Cities"

On the 6th, people are watching a landing airplane at Beijing International Airport in China.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] China is abolishing the nearby city transit system for international flights bound for Beijing. This system, which has been in place for three years, is being discontinued as part of additional quarantine easing measures.

According to local media such as Jiemian News on the 6th, Hainan Airlines announced on the 4th that "due to policy adjustments, from the 12th, international flights with Beijing as the destination will fly direct without transiting through nearby cities." This measure will apply to all airlines including Air China and China Southern Airlines.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China, the National Health Commission, and Customs prohibited direct flights to Beijing from overseas in March 2020. Passengers were first required to enter one of 12 nearby cities such as Tianjin, Shanghai, and Qingdao, undergo quarantine procedures including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, immigration processing, and customs clearance, and then take their original flight to Beijing. After the introduction of facility quarantine for arrivals, passengers had to quarantine for a certain period in hotels or other facilities in the transit cities before proceeding to Beijing.

Passengers confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 during this process were transferred to specialized hospitals. This measure was intended to block the influx of COVID-19 from overseas into the capital Beijing, causing significant inconvenience to arrivals in Beijing. There were also criticisms that it restricted free movement of people.

In September 2020, the Civil Aviation Administration of China allowed direct flights to Beijing from nine international routes in eight countries including Thailand, Cambodia, Sweden, and Canada, gradually expanding the scope, but the nearby city transit system was still maintained for many international flights.

Meanwhile, China is easing quarantine measures by abolishing post-arrival PCR testing and facility quarantine for overseas arrivals starting from the 8th. The government will also gradually allow its citizens to travel abroad.