Summary
- Due to various factors such as weak demand and the closure of Russian airspace, international airlines have restricted their flights to China.
- British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are among the airlines that are stopping flights to China after years of operation.
- Chinese airlines are expanding abroad while Western airlines are reducing their flights.
Several international airlines have recently announced cuts to their flights to China. The Chinese market was once a promising market for global airlines, but now seems to be losing its appeal.
Recent examples of airlines cancelling flights to China include Singapore Airlines, which cut services to two Chinese cities this spring, and Australian airline Qantas, which suspended its direct service from Sydney to Beijing this summer.
Western airlines are also reducing their connections to China. British Airways announced that it would end its Beijing service at the end of October 2024, while Virgin Atlantic decided to end its flights to China after 25 years of service between the UK and Shanghai. Of the American airlines, only United Airlines flies directly to the Chinese capital.
Several factors influence the change
Each foreign airline that suspended service to China had its own reasons for doing so. International airlines cited several factors, including weak travel demand to China, political tensions, rising costs, the closure of Russian airspace and the slow recovery of demand following suspensions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, among others.
Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock
The latest update on network cuts in China concerns British Airways After serving the Chinese capital for decades, the airline will cease all flights between London Heathrow and Beijing 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 justification for the cut, the need to avoid Russian airspace following the war in Ukraine and low travel demand are likely to be the main factors.
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Why British Airways is cancelling the London Heathrow to Beijing route
Virgin Atlantic had recently discontinued its flights to Shanghai.
The news of British Airways’ decision to suspend flights to China came shortly after Virgin Atlantic has announced the suspension of the Heathrow (LHR) – Shanghai Pudong (PVG) route. The decision to cancel this flight was attributed to complications arising from the impossibility of flying through Russian airspace.
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Virgin Atlantic to stop flying from Heathrow to Shanghai after 25 years
The airline justified this with complications related to the closure of Russian airspace.
When it comes to China-US connections, it’s surprising that there are so few direct flights between China’s capital and the US. Even more surprising is that United Airlines is the only US airline currently offering flights to Beijing.
In August 2024, only three airlines – 
Air China Hainan Airlines and United Airlines – are expected to operate six routes between Beijing and the USA, according to Cirium data.
Photo: Thiago B Trevisan | Shutterstock
The limited flights between the two countries are partly due to political reasons. In March 2024, the US government increased the weekly flight limit for Chinese airlines from 35 to 50. While this is an increase, it is still much less than the 150 flights allowed before the pandemic. Despite this, US airlines only operate 35 round-trip flights per week, according to a Reuters report.
Chinese airlines are expanding their activities abroad
While foreign airlines are reducing their flight capacity to China, Chinese airlines are gaining ground in the international market. This development is partly due to the fact that Western airlines are not allowed to fly through Russian airspace, while Chinese airlines can.
John Grant, senior analyst at OAG, told Reuters that this advantage has reduced costs for Chinese airlines and enabled them to capture a larger share of the international market.
