(Yicai Global) Oct. 18 -- China’s biggest carriers, including China Eastern Airlines and Southern Airlines, have come out with plans for more flights to Asia, Europe, and the United States.

China Eastern announced plans yesterday to restart flights between Hangzhou, Qingdao, Nanjing, and Kunming in China to Tokyo, Japan from Oct. 20. Flights from Qingdao, Nanjing, and Yantai to Seoul, South Korea, and the Shanghai-Bangkok-Qingdao route will also resume.

After two years of tight restrictions on international passenger traffic to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the country, China has been gradually resuming flights since May. In June, the authorities eased the rules for inbound tourists to seven days of quarantine plus three days of health monitoring at home from 14 days and seven days, respectively.

China Eastern is expected to expand its weekly international passenger routes to 42, with a total of 108 departures by the official start of the winter-spring season on Oct. 30, the Shanghai-based carrier said.

Guangzhou-based Southern Airlines plans to hike its weekly flight count to 86 from 71, with new non-stop routes between Guangzhou and Jakarta, Dubai, Manila, and Bangkok, and one from Dalian to Tokyo.

Air China, the flag carrier, recently resumed flights from Beijing to Warsaw, Athens, Vancouver, and Los Angeles, it said earlier.

Other major operators, including Hainan Airlines, Spring Airlines, and Juneyao Airlines, have also published plans to reboot international routes.

Editor: Futura Costaglione