Air China leading Chinese carriers on North American routes

Chinese carriers are bracing to gain big and emerge as biggest growth driver with the United States easing visa requirements for travelers from China. This has spurred the Chinese airlines to enter into stiff competition and benefit passengers with cheap airfares.

Media reports quoted travel experts as saying that Chinese carriers are going to see their international traffic increasing by above 15 percent in 2015 because of the growth in outbound tourism.

According to reports, visa requirements for travelers from China have been eased by the United States. Other countries such as the UK, South Korea and Japan have also indicated that the process of visa application is going to be relaxed by them as well. The reports said that more countries are expected to follow similar trends in the future.

The biggest gainer among the Chinese carriers is Air China, the national flag carrier, which is leading the charge on North American routes. China Eastern Airlines is another carrier from the country which is trying to maintain pace and give stiff competition to Air China. Both the carriers are expected to secure significant growth than their other rivals.

A spokesperson of the White House in a statement to the media said that 1.8 million visitors from China had contributed $21.1 billion to the economy of the United States in 2013.

Earlier, the Apec leaders met in November 2014. This led to an agreement between the United States and China in which it was finally decided to extend the validity of visa for tourism and business from one to 10 years.