Vermeulen, from Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, is optimistic that direct flights from Beijing and Shanghai to Paris and Amsterdam can return between the end of March and the summer.

"We all need to travel for personal and professional reasons, and this new policy will make our lives easier," he said.

The Dutchman, who has lived in China for six months with his wife and two children, spent the Christmas holiday with his family in Sanya, Hainan province.

"We don't have any travel plans for Spring Festival yet, but we want to see more of China," he said.