Beijing Daxing Airport to resume int'l passenger flights

BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Beijing Daxing International Airport will resume the operation of international passenger flights starting from Jan. 17.

International flights had been suspended at the airport since March 14, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All international flights from Daxing airport had been diverted to the Beijing Capital International Airport.

China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Beijing Capital Airlines and Himalaya Airlines are among the first carriers to resume international flights to and from Daxing airport. China Southern Airlines will run three flights per week to Hong Kong, while Himalaya Airlines will run one flight per week to Kathmandu.

International transfers at the airport will also be resumed, with the adoption of a 144-hour visa-free policy for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

More international flights to destinations in Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand are planned, according the airport's management.

The first international flight from Daxing airport took off on Oct. 27, 2019. Before the epidemic, the airport ran services to and from 13 countries and regions.

China has downgraded its management of COVID-19 to Class B and canceled quarantine requirements for inbound travelers from Jan. 8.