Coronavirus will permanently reshape the Chinese airline system

For China’s airlines, all bets are off. With a future that previously seemed blindingly bright, the last decade was typified by rapid growth, huge fleet additions, a massive international route map and expansion of service to domestic locations that didn’t even have a runway 20 years ago. On the surface, at least at the top 25 airports, airlines were filling over 80% of seats offered. As of the end of 2019, China’s airlines operated over 3,700 passenger airliners, and they were projected to represent one third of global airliner demand in the next 10 years. Chinese carriers have orders for over 900 new airliners from Boeing and Airbus. But now, the entire foundation of the China air transportation system has been shattered. When the dust clears from the coronavirus epidemic, it will bear little resemblance to what it was in 2019. <br/>