Jan 12, 2022 - World

Biden administration criticizes China's move to cancel more flights

Julia Sclafani

tail of airplane seen with united airliner in background. — United Airlines flights are among the latests to be suspended. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The White House criticized China's decision to cancel more flights from the U.S. on Wednesday, saying it was "inconsistent with its obligations under the U.S.-China Air Transport Agreement."

Driving the news: China announced it suspended six flights over the course of the next week due to passengers testing positive for COVID-19, per Reuters.

The latest canceled flights affect United and China Southern airlines flights departing for Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

What they're saying: "[W]e retain the right to take regulatory measures as appropriate," a Transportation Department spokesperson said in a statement.

The big picture: It adds to a spate of recently announced flight cancellations, as the Omicron variant continues to impact travel in the new year.

Go deeper: Flight cancellations become the post-holiday norm

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Biden administration criticizes China's move to cancel more flights

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