Flights between China and Switzerland are difficult to resume after three years
Geneva airport was due to see direct flights from China again next week, but Air China’s scheduled Jan. 26 and Feb. 2 flights have been canceled due to passenger shortages, Swiss public broadcaster RTS reports.
This content was published on January 22, 2023 – 11:56 am
RTS/jc
China reopened its borders on January 8 after three years of strict pandemic restrictions. However, the Chinese airline confirmed that there were not enough bookings to maintain the first connections between Beijing and Geneva.
The next Geneva-Beijing flight is scheduled for February 9th. Air China says the bookings should allow this route to be maintained.
SWISS International Airlines has not yet decided when it will resume passenger traffic between Switzerland and China.
The return of Chinese tourists to Switzerland will depend on several factors, says RTS. For the time being, the Chinese prefer to travel within the country or to other Asian countries that are cheaper. Also, people are currently celebrating the Chinese New Year and prefer to stay with their families.
Another challenge is obtaining a passport or visa, says RTS. China stopped issuing passports during the pandemic, and renewal and issuance services are slowly resuming.
As for visas, Beijing does not currently issue tourist or study visas. However, it issues business visas. According to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), there are no restrictions on issuing visas to Chinese tourists in Switzerland. However, according to Switzerland Tourism, the system is only working sluggishly because the teams were greatly reduced during the pandemic and now have to be reassembled.
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