China Southern Airlines flight CZ3001 takes off at the Daxing International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 25, 2019. (File photo: Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Beijing will restart accepting direct international flights starting September 3, China’s aviation regulator said on Tuesday.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in March ordered all Beijing-bound international flights to land in other Chinese cities as travelers’ first points of entry, part of the country’s efforts to curb the arrivals of coronavirus cases by air.

Over 510 international flights have been diverted to first entry cities, official data shows.

According to the new rule, travelers who depart from Thailand, Cambodia, Pakistan, Greece, Denmark, Hungary, Sweden and Canada will be allowed to fly to Beijing on direct flights. They will need to take a mandatory 14-day quarantine at designed facilities and will be tested twice, the Beijing government said on Tuesday. 

CAAC said it will consider adding more countries on the resumption list. Beijing’s ability to handle new cases and departing cities’ performance on virus testing will be key factors.