(Yicai Global) June 15 -- The Civil Aviation Administration of China issued its first ‘circuit-breaker’ notice for international flights yesterday in which it announced China Southern Airlines’ Bangladesh-China flights will be halted for four weeks, as ever more airlines are requiring Covid-19 passengers to show nucleic acid test reports before boarding.

Seventeen passengers tested positive for the Covid-19 nucleic acid on the carrier’s Flight CZ392 from Dhaka to Guangzhou on June 11, triggering the suspension, thus flights for the air route will cease for four weeks from June 22, the CAAC said on its website yesterday.

Many air carriers now require passengers to take coronavirus nucleic acid tests before boarding to avoid suffering the same fate.

China eased its controls on international passenger flights on June 4, adjusting the number overseas airlines are allowed based on the number of their passengers testing positive for Covid-19 starting June 8.

Chicago-based United Airlines has had all passengers do a health self-assessment during check-in starting from June 11. This checklist directs customers to confirm they have not been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the last 21 days or suffered symptoms in the 14 days prior to flying, including fever, cough, muscle pains and sore throat. Passengers and crew members must also wear face coverings aboard.

Sichuan Airlines has also mandated since June 12 that all passengers from Cairo to Chengdu undergo nucleic acid tests with their valid air tickets at designated places in Egypt within 72 hours before their flights depart.

Passengers taking JC International Airlines’ flights have been required to provide negative nucleic acid test reports issued by a professional test agency recognized by the country of origin taken within 72 hours before flying since June 11, the Cambodian company announced.

Passengers from the Philippines via Phnom Penh to China must present a negative test report to board, China-owned, Cambodia-based Lanmei Airlines declared, adding it provides free tests for them.

China adopted incentives and the circuit-breaker measures for international flights starting June 8, the CAAC decreed on June 4. Airlines will be allowed up to two per week if they have no Covid-19 cases for three straight weeks but will be barred from running a flight for one week if five or more passengers on one carry coronavirus. If 10 or more turn up on one flight, the CAAC will ban it for one month.

Editor: Zhang Yushuo, Ben Armour