Ritika Janiya
International airlines cut flights to China amidst low demand, political tensions, and closed-off airspace. The heady growth days are now gone, where China absorbed fewer flights from international carriers. Meanwhile, Chinese airlines are augmenting their fares overseas where their Western rivals are putting on the brakes.
The thing is, over the past few months, many international airlines have been cutting back on their flights to China. Once booming, China is now losing its shine for many global carriers. Let’s take a more in-depth look at what is happening and how this shift in the travel landscape is taking place.
Flight Cuts: What’s Happening?
Several big carriers, including Singapore Airlines, Qantas, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic, said that they were either cutting back or stopping travel to China altogether. In a shocking turn of events, what once represented the pinnacle of flying ambitions for any airline now seemed a to be losing its grip. Singapore Airlines just halted travel to two different Chinese cities. Qantas stopped direct flights between Sydney and Beijing.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic’s Big Moves
British Airways, a giant in global travel, announced it would no longer be flying from London Heathrow to Beijing from late October 2024. The route was reinstated in June 2023 after a very long suspension caused by COVID-19, only to be pulled out now as the airline reasons that avoiding Russian airspace and low demand for travel are factors to be noted.
Virgin Atlantic is also cutting where it can. After a quarter of a century of flying between the UK and Shanghai, the company is axing its Shanghai service. The big problem here is the ban on flying through Russian airspace, which has made a mess of long-haul flights.
Why Are Airlines Pulling Out?
Different airlines have different reasons for pulling out of their voyages to China:
- Weak Demand: Many airlines are noticing fewer and fewer are flying to China. Lower demand, by extension, makes operating these routes less profitable.
- Political Tensions: Political problems between two countries can make travel less predictable and therefore more difficult.
- Cost Hike: Flights can be pretty expensive, and the cost seems to go up when fuel costs and other operational expenses rise.
- Airspace Issues: The war in Ukraine has closed Russian airspace, making some routes less viable. Now, carriers have to take longer routes, adding cost and complexity to flying.
- COVID-19 Recovery: The slow recovery from the pandemic means fewer numbers of traveling people, and thus airlines are adjusting routes.
The Big Surprise: Few US Flights to China
One surprising aspect of this shift is how few direct flights exist between China and the US. Right now, only United Airlines appears to have direct service between the US and Beijing—along with local partners Air China and Hainan Airlines. Next August, the trio of carriers will field just six routes between the two nations.
The US government has raised the number of weekly flights allowed to be operated by Chinese airlines from 35 to 50, still much less than the 150 before the pandemic. US carriers, however, are choosing to fly only 35 return trips a week.
Chinese Airlines: Growing Strong
As western carriers slash the number of flights to China, their Chinese rivals are ramping up international operations. One reason for the growth is that Chinese carriers are still allowed to fly over Russia, an privilege denied to many Western airlines. This advantage allows Chinese carriers to keep down their costs and their prices more competitive.
According to John Grant, an OAG senior analyst, it is this cost advantage that Chinese airlines need to grow their reach out to the international market. While Western airlines scale back, the Chinese do the reverse by taking on more exposure across the world.
What’s Next for Air Travel?
This shifting landscape with regard to international flights to China shows how quickly things can change in the world of travel. With continued need for adaptation by airlines to new realities, travelers may see more changes in routes and flight availability. For now, it is the Chinese airlines that are flying high, and the Western carriers that must rethink their strategies.
So if you’re going to travel to China or have any kind of international travel in the future, it’s what you want to keep your eye on. The travel industry is changing all the time, and sometimes an awareness of those changes can help you plan better travel in the future.
