Capital Airlines (China) (JD, Beijing Daxing International) has been granted exemption authority and a Foreign Air Carrier Permit (FACP) by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) ahead of the start of regular flights to the Northern Mariana Islands.

In its original application, the HNA Group carrier said it planned to operate regular Hangzhou-Saipan flights using A330-200 equipment during the second quarter of next year.

The DOT said in a decision issued this week that in line with Capital Airlines' request, it has been granted authority to operate scheduled flights ferrying persons, property, and mail between Hangzhou and Saipan on the one hand and authority to offer charter flights ferrying persons, property, and mail between a point or points in China and a point or points in the United States on the other.