Air China cancels launch of direct flights to South Africa

Air China cancels direct flights to South Africa. Image by ERIC SALARD / CC BY-SA 2.0

Reports suggest that South Africa new visa regulations have played a part in Air China cancelling its much-anticipated launch of direct flights between Beijing and Johannesburg. To acquire visas Chinese citizens must visit Beijing or Shanghai to give biometric data at South African diplomatic offices and parents must travel to South Africa with unabridged birth certificates for each of their children (these must also be translated into English and certified). The airline also blamed the cancellation on safety and security concerns after recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Read more: allafrica.com