Beijing (AFP)
France now limits to a single weekly flight the service of its territory by Chinese airlines, in the name of "reciprocity" vis-à-vis Air France, we learned Monday from the embassy of France in Beijing.
China, the first country hit by Covid-19, drastically cut its links with the rest of the world at the end of March for fear of further contamination.
The country authorizes however since June 8 several foreign companies, including Air France, to ensure a connection per week from and to its territory.
On the other hand, the three main Chinese companies (Air China, China Eastern, China Southern) could so far each make a weekly flight from China to France - three in total.
The French authorities are seeking to guarantee the same rights for Air France, with three weekly connections with China.
Now, and "in the absence of progress (...), we apply strict reciprocity since last Friday," assured the French Embassy.
Concretely, this amounts to eliminating two flights a week for Chinese companies.
The China Southern and China Eastern flights scheduled for this week to France have been canceled, according to the timetables published online. An Air China flight from Beijing to Paris was still announced for Monday.
In early June, China announced a very limited resumption of international flights, after a threat from Washington to suspend flights by Chinese companies to the United States.
In reality, foreign companies must first obtain the green light from the city of arrival, which complicates the procedures.
© 2020 AFP