Major Airlines Reduce or Cease Flights to China

Global airlines are reducing their services to Asia, and in some cases withdrawing completely from China, due to increased operational costs from rerouting around Russian airspace and low demand. According to CNBC, Virgin Atlantic and Scandinavian Airlines are both exiting China altogether. Virgin Atlantic ceased all flights to Hong Kong in 2022, closing its office and ending its 30-year presence in the Asian financial hub. A report from travel news site Skift indicates that seven major airlines have exited the country in the past four months.

John Grant, chief analyst at aviation intelligence company OAG, commented that the situation will "get worse before it gets better." He noted that British Airways has been consistently downsizing the aircraft used for flights to China, replacing Boeing 747 jumbo jets with B777s and eventually even smaller B787s. Grant also pointed out that airlines have had to operate with four-member flight crews due to long hours, despite being able to operate with two or three in some cases. "When there is a shortage of flight crew and restricted hours, this is an expense," he explained.

Furthermore, Grant mentioned that European carriers have found better uses for their aircraft outside of China.