International airlines cut China flights over Russian airspace ban, economic concerns
Fewer flights to China by Western airlines seen as a reflection of reduced demand for business travel amid economic slowdown
International airlines are scaling back China flights from this month because Chinese carriers have gained an edge by flying over Russia to reach Europe, with some analysts also saying business travel has thinned as China’s economic growth has slowed.
The same sources say Sweden-based Scandinavian Airlines is set to fly its Copenhagen-Shanghai route for the last time on November 7, Qantas Airways of Australia has dropped its Sydney-Shanghai route and German carrier Lufthansa was considering last month whether to suspend its Frankfurt-Beijing route.
In the United States, Delta Air Lines has postponed plans to resume Shanghai-Los Angeles trips, Guangzhou-based aviation analyst Li Hanming said this month. A Delta spokesman said on Tuesday that the airline will resume the route in June.
Airlines traditionally make seasonal adjustments to their schedules every October and March.
US and European carriers can deploy their aircraft more effectively in other more profitable markets
