WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Department said on Monday it has agreed to allow Chinese airlines to boost the number of weekly flights to the U.S. to 50 starting March 31, up from the current 35.

The department in its announcement that the approval "is a significant step forward in further normalization of the U.S.-China market in anticipation of the Summer 2024 traffic season."

Until August 2023, Chinese and U.S. carriers could each only fly 12 weekly total round-trip passenger flights between the two countries.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler)