Chinese Airlines Slash Hundreds of December Flights to Japan After Travel Warning
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File photo: An Air China plane. Photo: Visual China Group
Chinese airlines have slashed hundreds of scheduled flights to Japan for December, responding swiftly to recent travel advisories from Beijing with capacity cuts that threaten to chill a once-hot tourism corridor during the peak holiday season.
The move represents a stark about-face for the recovering travel market between the two Asian neighbors. With Chinese carriers controlling most of the capacity on China-Japan routes, the cuts could deal a blow to Japanese retailers and hospitality operators who count on free-spending Chinese tourists.
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- Chinese airlines cut 268 flights (97,000 seats) to Japan for December 2024, mainly after Beijing’s travel advisories following remarks by Japan’s prime minister on Taiwan.
- Leisure routes, especially to Osaka, saw cancellations up to 65%; around 600,000 tickets for Japan-bound flights were refunded between Nov. 15–24.
- With Chinese tourists spending $1,622 per person (Q3 2025), this pullback threatens Japan’s tourism recovery, as Chinese travelers dominate spending.
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Who’s Who
- China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd.
- China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd. led the reduction in flights to Japan, cutting 114 flights, which is about 22% of its original plan. This resulted in the removal of approximately 23,800 seats. It was among the state-owned carriers that offered ticket refunds following the travel warnings.
- China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd.
- China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd. scrapped 69 flights from its December schedule to Japan, following recent travel advisories from Beijing. This is part of a larger trend of Chinese carriers cutting capacity on China-Japan routes, primarily impacting leisure hubs. The airline, a state-owned carrier, also offered ticket refunds in response to the travel warnings.
- Air China Ltd.
- Air China Ltd. responded to China's travel advisories to Japan by scrapping 46 flights from its December schedule. This move was part of a larger trend among Chinese airlines to reduce capacity on China-Japan routes, primarily impacting leisure destinations, and aimed at offering ticket refunds following the travel warnings.
- Fitch Solutions
- Fitch Solutions, through its research unit BMI, highlights the significant impact a prolonged decline in Chinese visitor numbers would have on Japan's tourism revenue. They note that while other nationalities may offer visitor volume, they're unlikely to match the high spending of Chinese tourists, who are crucial for sectors like airport duty-free and department stores.
- Global Travel Data
- Global Travel Data (环球旅讯) is a Guangzhou-based flight data provider. Its general manager, Li Hanming, noted the disparity in flight reductions between leisure and business routes to Japan. Li also stated that approximately 600,000 tickets for Japan-bound flights were refunded between November 15 and 24.
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