Olympics Games Boost Air Travel Between China and France

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Flight bookings from China to France during the Olympic Games, which run from July 24 to August 11, more than doubled compared with the same period last year

The Olympic Games in Paris have fueled a surge in air travel between China and France, although flight services linking the two countries have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

Flight bookings from China to France during the Olympic Games, which run from July 24 to August 11, more than doubled compared with the same period last year and 23% more than previous months, according to data from Umetrip as of July 19.

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The Olympic Games in Paris increased air travel from China, with bookings more than doubling from the previous year and hotel bookings rising 194%.
Despite increased flights and a 60% rise in weekly flights since July, air travel between China and France has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Factors affecting the slow recovery include air rights negotiations, longer routes due to avoiding Russian airspace, and constrained visa regulations.

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Who’s Who

Umetrip: Umetrip is a data provider mentioned in the article that tracks flight bookings and passenger flights. It reported that flight bookings from China to France during the Olympic Games doubled compared to the previous year, and weekly passenger flights between the Chinese mainland and France increased by 60% since July. However, flight volumes still haven't returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Trip.com: Trip.com is China’s largest online travel service provider. Data from Trip.com revealed a significant increase in travel interest during the Paris Olympic Games, with bookings for trips to Paris by tourists from the Chinese mainland rising by 114% compared to last year, and hotel bookings in Paris up 194% year-on-year.

Flight Master: Flight Master is an air travel data provider that reported a significant increase in flights on the China-France route during the Olympics. The number of flights scheduled for this period is 284, representing a 70% increase compared to the same period in 2023. However, this is still below the 461 flights recorded in the corresponding period of 2019 before the pandemic.

Air France-KLM Group: Air France-KLM Group is the only foreign carrier operating on the China-France route but has not restored flights to pre-pandemic levels. For the 2024 summer season, it scheduled three routes from China to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, with seven weekly flights each to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Before the pandemic, the weekly flights from Paris to Beijing and Shanghai were 14 and 10, respectively. Flights now take longer due to the need to bypass Russian airspace.

Air France: Air France-KLM Group has not restored its China-France flights to pre-pandemic levels. For the 2024 summer season, they scheduled three routes from China to Paris, with seven weekly flights each to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Before the pandemic, there were 14 weekly flights to Beijing and 10 to Shanghai. Flights from Beijing to Paris now take about two and a half hours longer due to the need to bypass Russian airspace.

Flightradar24: Flightradar24 is an air travel data provider mentioned in the article. It shows that flights by Air France from Beijing Capital International Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport are approximately two and a half hours longer than those operated by Air China, due to the need to bypass Russian airspace.

AI generated, for reference only

What Happened When

February 2022：: Russia barred airlines from European Union states and other countries from its airspace in retaliation for sanctions imposed on it after it invaded Ukraine.

By July 2024：: The number of flights scheduled on the China-France route during the Olympics is 284, which is a 70% increase from the same period in 2023, but a decrease from 461 flights in the same period in 2019.

Since July 2024：: There have been more than 100 weekly passenger flights between the Chinese mainland and France, marking a 60% increase from the same period last year.

As of July 19, 2024：: Flight bookings from China to France during the Olympic Games more than doubled compared to the same period last year and increased by 23% compared to previous months.