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Chinese airlines told to halt ticket sales to Mid-Easterners
In a move to address what one airline manager called safety concerns, Beijing authorities instructed major Chinese airlines to halt ticket sales to nationals of about 20 countries, mainly in the Middle East.
In a move to address what one airline manager called safety concerns, Beijing authorities
instructed major Chinese airlines to halt ticket sales to nationals of about 20 countries, mainly in the Middle East.
In a circular dated October 3, China National Aviation Corp, the sole agent of 10 mainland airlines in Hong Kong, urged travel agents to comply with rules issued by China's foreign affairs ministry and the civil aviation administration imposing strict controls on the travelers. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the memo, in which officials told companies to stop selling tickets to China to customers from the Middle East and Pakistan and to refund tickets already bought.
A marketing manager at Air China, who identified herself only by the surname Leung, said on Friday the carrier's Hong Kong office received instructions from the Beijing headquarters to impose the ban for safety reasons. The thrust of the circular seemed clear enough, although the wording was partially contradictory.
While the memo said tickets should not be sold to the holders of 20 different types of passports, it added that there would not be a total ban. That may have allowed room for diplomats or dignitaries to travel - but the CNAC would not discuss the memo with a reporter.
Bureau Report
In a circular dated October 3, China National Aviation Corp, the sole agent of 10 mainland airlines in Hong Kong, urged travel agents to comply with rules issued by China's foreign affairs ministry and the civil aviation administration imposing strict controls on the travelers. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the memo, in which officials told companies to stop selling tickets to China to customers from the Middle East and Pakistan and to refund tickets already bought.
A marketing manager at Air China, who identified herself only by the surname Leung, said on Friday the carrier's Hong Kong office received instructions from the Beijing headquarters to impose the ban for safety reasons. The thrust of the circular seemed clear enough, although the wording was partially contradictory.
While the memo said tickets should not be sold to the holders of 20 different types of passports, it added that there would not be a total ban. That may have allowed room for diplomats or dignitaries to travel - but the CNAC would not discuss the memo with a reporter.
Bureau Report