CAAC to ease restrictions on long haul services

CAAC recently amended (14-May-2018) its "one route, one airline" policy for long haul services to allow for increased competition on long haul international services among Chinese airlines, effective 01-Oct-2018. CAAC is amending the policy - which was introduced in 2009 to mainly prevent China's state backed airlines from competing too aggressively on routes deemed difficult to profit from - in response to a changing aviation market as well as the 2019 opening of a second international airport in Beijing. The amended legislation involves dividing international services into two categories. The first category will comprise unrestricted routes to destinations in countries with at least a partial open skies agreement with China. Long haul destinations in the second category will be subject to certain restrictions. [more - original PR - Chinese]