Direct UK-China flights to resume after 20 month ban

Commercial flights to Shanghai are returning (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Direct flights between the UK and China are set to resume following an agreement between the two governments.

The CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) and the UK Department for Transport said flights would resume from 11 August.

The departures will be the first scheduled commercial links between the two countries in 20 months, after the Chinese government suspended flights following the emergence of a new Covid strain in late 2020.

The British Embassy in Beijing posted a statement to social media saying: “The UK Department for Transport and the CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) have formally agreed to the resumption of two-way direct passenger scheduled services between the UK and China.

“This will end the ban on direct passenger services imposed by the Chinese authorities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Transit for travellers will continue to be permitted in third countries.

“The initial services are being offered by Chinese airlines. Work is ongoing to resume routes for British airlines.”

It encouraged would-be visitors to follow the account for further updates on flight schedules and ticketing.

Air China will resume its Beijing-London Heathrow route from 11 August and its Shanghai Pudong-London Heathrow route from 13 August. Both routes will run weekly.

China Eastern has also said it will resume its Shanghai to Heathrow flights, with the first scheduled on 12 August.

China Southern will link the UK with the southeastern city of Guangzhou from 17 August, also with flights to Heathrow. At the moment, all of the above routes are being sold one-way, China to the UK, rather than vice versa.

While these steps towards reopening will be welcomed by those with links to or family in China, the Covid situation in the country remains strictly monitored, and eligibility for visas remains limited.

Should you get one, visitors to China must provide results from two PCR tests, one taken within the 48 hours before departure, and the other taken within 24 hours.

According to the Foreign Office, “The two tests must be conducted in different testing intuitions and you can use any legal testing centre that can provide a PCR test and full report.”

If you have previously tested positive for Covid, you must take an additional two tests before you can be issued a Health Declaration Certificate (HDC) by the Chinese Embassy.

After this, there are health checks on arrival, and seven days’ quarantine in a government facility followed by three days at home if you have access to suitable accommodation.

Until June, quarantine for arrivals in China had been kept at a strict 14 days.

Once you are free to move around, the Chinese government continues to impose various control and quarantine measures across the country. Travel in and out of Hainan island is currently suspended until further notice amid a Covid outbreak there.

If holidaymakers test positive for Covid-19 while in China they must go to a designated Covid hospital until they test negative multiple times - a process that can take weeks.