The three weekly non-stop flights between the cities will be boosted to five, in addition to maintaining its twice weekly flight pattern between Beijing and Chicago.

"United is closely monitoring the situation in China and we will restore all flights when the time is appropriate," said Sidney Kwok, the chief representative of United in China.

"We believe, with the Chinese government and the Chinese people's great efforts, which were highly praised by the World Health Organization, SARS will be quickly tamed in this country."

As the airline operating most flights between China and the United States, United was the first to feel the pinch in the diving aviation market after SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) broke out in China. The airline's business to Asia dropped dramatically from March to June.

On the losses from the impact of the Iraq War and SARS in Asia, Kwok said it was tough going for the airline industry across the board. As the potentially fatal disease has not been completely curbed, it is too early to predict the full impact.

There has been a prediction from the International Aviation Transport Association, putting the global aviation industry's losses caused by SARS at US$10 billion.

The United States has been the top foreign direct investment country in China for four consecutive years. Because many business trips and meetings have been postponed over the past two months, Kwok said business travel - both inbound and outbound - will soon rebound.

However, the seasonal leisure travel sector is taking more of a beating.

But Kwok said as there are still several months left in this year's peak leisure travel season, the situation has every opportunity to improve.

Besides United, air carriers from Europe and Asian countries, which also reduced flights due to SARS, are planning to resume their services.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines boosted its number of weekly flights to Beijing and Shanghai at the weekend. From June 14 to August 31, the carrier will fly four times per week from Amsterdam to Beijing and continue to Shanghai, returning directly to Amsterdam.

Sources close to the airline said it may restore normal operations between Beijing, Shanghai and Amsterdam from September if there is a solid market recovery.

China's airlines have also gradually resumed their operations abroad. The Xinjiang branch of China Southern Airlines reintroduced some flights to Central Asian countries on Sunday, and it is expected to further increase its workload as the SARS virus fades.

(China Daily June 19, 2003)