Travelers hail ‘smooth’ process

Airline passengers who arrived on the Chinese mainland on Jan 8 said the arrival process was smooth and fast, after the requirements of quarantine and undergoing a nucleic acid test were scrapped.

Many said the optimization of China’s COVID-19 policy was not only good news for travelers, but would also benefit businesses worldwide.

On Jan 8, management of the disease was downgraded from Class A to Class B, and most of the travel restrictions for passengers arriving in China were lifted.

International travelers still need a negative nucleic acid test 48 hours before departure and have to wear protective masks onboard flights, according to the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism.

China Southern Airlines Flight CZ312, which took off from Toronto, Canada, and landed at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in Guangdong province at 00:16 am on Jan 8, was the first international flight to arrive on the mainland after the restrictions were relaxed.

At Beijing Capital International Airport, Terminal 3-E and Terminal 2 reopened for international arrivals on Jan 8, with passengers only needing to undergo routine customs and immigration checks.

Cathy Pacific Flight CX334 from Hong Kong to Beijing became the first flight that departed from outside the mainland to land at Terminal 3-E after it was reopened.

Richard Matuzevich from Latvia landed in Beijing on Air China Flight CA738 from Warsaw on Jan 8.

“The whole arrival process was very smooth and fast. Without a doubt, the new travel policy is good for China, the world and the economy,” Matuzevich said.

Over the weekend, Shanghai Pudong International Airport dismantled facilities put in place for closed-loop transportation. By Jan 8, routine procedures for inbound passengers had been restored, according to the Shanghai Airport Authority.

Zheng Caixiong in Guangzhou contributed to this story.