China Air Travel Demand Surges as Covid Zero Rules Dismantled
- Thousands of flights added daily as travelers return to skies
- Lunar New Year bookings jump in boon for loss-making carriers
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China’s rapid unwinding of Covid Zero restrictions has spurred a sharp recovery in the world’s biggest domestic air-travel market, throwing a lifeline to the nation’s ‘Big Three’ airlines, which have racked up billions of dollars of losses since the start of the pandemic.
Domestic flight activity jumped to around 65% of pre-pandemic levels Monday, from just 22% on Nov. 29, according to Chinese aviation data company VariFlight — the equivalent of several thousand flights per day returning to the sky. Ticket sales for the crucial Lunar New Year period in late January have also surged, China Aviation Daily reported Monday, citing online travel portal Qunar.com data.