Airlines in China have been instructed to scale back flights to Japan, a directive that reflects deepening diplomatic strains between the two nations after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks on a potential Taiwan crisis, according to people familiar with the matter, as cited by Bloomberg. This move signals that Beijing may be bracing for a longer-term downturn in bilateral relations.
Sources indicate that Chinese carriers received the order to cut services with immediate effect, modifying their flight schedules to align with the current diplomatic environment. The restrictions are scheduled to remain in place through the end of March, coinciding with the aviation industry’s seasonal shift from winter to summer timetables. Airlines retain flexibility in choosing which routes and frequencies to curtail.
Data from China Trading Desk show a wave of cancellations by Chinese travelers to Japan, extending into April. The company estimates these cancellations could trim as much as $1.2 billion from Japan’s visitor expenditure by year-end. If the trend persists into next year, cumulative economic losses could reach up to $9 billion.
At least a dozen direct connections between Chinese cities—such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Nanjing—and Japanese destinations including Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Sapporo have reportedly been axed, with more reductions expected to follow. According to AeroRoutes data, carriers are also making weekly schedule cuts on an ad hoc basis and switching some services from widebody planes to smaller single-aisle jets.
