The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said yesterday that China is opening new airspace for commercial airliners this week that will cut the flying times between Europe and the big cities of its eastern seaboard

by 30 minutes. IATA said the new routes to be opened this Thursday (April) will initially benefit 110 flights a week to, from and across China, and save airlines millions of dollars in fuel bills.
IATA, which has been negotiating with Beijing on the new routes for over five years, says that only 30% of China's airspace has been open to civil aviation, leaving international carriers little choice in previous flight plans.