Multiple international airlines have recently announced cuts to their flights to China. Once a highly promising market for global carriers, the Chinese market now seems to be losing its appeal.
Recent examples of airlines cutting flights to China include Singapore Airlines, which suspended service to two Chinese cities this spring, and Australia’s Qantas, which suspended its direct Sydney to Beijing service this summer.
Western carriers are also scaling back their routes to China. British Airways announced it would end its Beijing service in late October 2024, while Virgin Atlantic decided to discontinue its flights to China after 25 years of service between the UK and Shanghai. When it comes to American carriers, only United Airlines flies directly to the Chinese capital.
Multiple factors influencing the shift
Each foreign airline that suspended its service to China had its own reasons for doing so. International airlines cited multiple factors, including weak travel demand to China, political tensions, rising costs, the closure of Russia’s airspace, and the slow recovery of demand following COVID-19 pandemic suspensions, among other reasons.
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The latest update on network cuts to China involves British Airways . After serving the Chinese capital for decades, the carrier will cease all London Heathrow-Beijing flights at the end of October.
This route, which British Airways reinstated in June 2023 after more than three years due to COVID, was operated with the Boeing 777-200ER. While the airline did not provide a detailed explanation for the cut, the need to avoid Russian airspace following the war in Ukraine and low travel demand are likely key factors.
The news about British Airways’ decision to cut flights to China came soon after Virgin Atlantic announced the halt of its Heathrow (LHR) to Shanghai Pudong (PVG) route. The decision to cease this flight was attributed to complications with not being able to fly through Russian airspace.
When it comes to China-US connections, it is surprising that there are so few direct flights between China’s capital and the US. Even more surprising is that United Airlines is the one US airline that currently offers service to Beijing.
In August 2024, only three airlines — Air China , Hainan Airlines, and United Airlines — are scheduled to operate six routes between Beijing and the US, according to Cirium data.
The limited flights between the two countries are partly due to political reasons. In March 2024, the US government raised the weekly flight limit for Chinese airlines from 35 to 50. Although this is an increase, it’s still much less than the 150 flights allowed before the pandemic. Despite this, US airlines are only operating 35 return flights a week, according to a Reuters report.
Chinese carriers expanding ops overseas
As foreign carriers reduce their flight capacity to China, Chinese airlines are gaining ground in the international market. This shift is partly because Western carriers are unable to fly through Russian airspace, while Chinese airlines can.
John Grant, senior analyst at OAG, told Reuters that this advantage has lowered costs for Chinese carriers, allowing them to capture a larger share of the international market.
Source: Simple Flying
