The Trump administration will make good on its threat to block Chinese airlines flying to the US.
It is a simple act of retaliation after China had delayed American carriers from resuming flights they suspended when the Covid-19 pandemic closed down most air travel to China earlier this year.
The order to block Chinese airlines takes effect on June 16, the transportation department said.
"The Chinese government’s failure to approve the requests (to resume China flights) is a violation of our Air Transport Agreement," the DOT said in a statement.
The US took action, firstly with a threat to block flights after Beijing repeatedly failed to respond to requests by Delta Air Lines and United Airlines to restart transpacific routes.
Due to the pandemic the Civil Aviation Authority of China initially permitted airlines to only fly once a week to one city in a single country based on current schedules in March.
By that time US airlines had already suspended China services.
Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Hainan Airlines have been operating limited flights to the US since the pandemic.
