Airlines to get financial support for maintaining China routes

The Chinese authorities will provide financial support to domestic and overseas airlines that operate international flights connecting the Chinese mainland with overseas locations amid the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak.

According to a notice jointly issued on Wednesday night by the Ministry of Finance and the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the country will allocate funds from the central government budget as a reward for carriers, as part of efforts to encourage the continuous operation of international flights and resumption of suspended routes.

The move came after China saw temporary flight bans to and from some countries and a decrease in international flights due to the epidemic.

According to the notice, the reward will be given in two categories, depending on whether an air route is flown by a single airline or multiple airlines. The notice also details how carriers can apply for the support.

The authorities will also give monetary benefits to airlines that have carried out major transportation missions coordinated by the State Council's joint defense and control mechanism, after the epidemic ends, it said.

The preferential policy will be valid for flights between Jan 23 and the end of June, according to the notice.