Airlines to cut int'l passenger flights to and from China for new season

BEIJING - China will allow 408 scheduled international passenger flights to and from the country per week in the winter season ending in March next year, down from 644 in the summer season, China's aviation regulator said on Friday.

That is down 21.1% from a year ago when international travel remained heavily depressed due to the surging COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement will likely douse hopes for any immediate reopening of Chinese borders as more and more countries reopen their economies. China has so far adopted a zero-COVID approach towards sporadic domestic outbreaks, which has far-reaching implications for the Chinese economy.