A flight carrying German business travelers from Frankfurt, jointly arranged by German Chamber of Commerce in China, German diplomatic missions, and Lufthansa airlines, landed in Tianjin on May 30. Photo: Courtesy of Lufthansa Group

The first chartered flight from the US since the onset of the pandemic is likely to bring  employees of US companies to China in late August, a sign bilateral economic cooperation may be gradually getting back on right track despite fraying political relations.

The American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham) is arranging the chartered flight that bring both foreign and Chinese employees of its member US companies to China, according to a notice posted on AmCham's website on Wednesday.

The chartered flight will depart from San Francisco in late August and arrive in North China's Tianjin, and will receive support from local governments and relevant Chinese ministries, the notice said. 

The flight could accommodate at least 120 passengers. The cost is estimated to be between $3,000 and $5,000.

Passengers registered for the flight should be in receipt of an invitation letter from either the Beijing or Tianjin governments, in addition to possessing a valid reentry visa. They are required to register for the flight before August 2. 

It's not known if the passengers will be subject to quarantine. 

Passengers on chartered flights from other countries such as Germany, were required to take COVID-19 tests before departing and on arrival in China and undergo two weeks quarantine. Industry observers suggested that considering the widespread outbreak in the US, quarantine measures for the August flight could be stricter. 

AmCham said that it may cancel the flight if it doesn't get a minimum of 120 passengers.