Chinese domestic flights drop to levels last seen in May 2020

Domestic flights in China have entered a steep downward trend in the past few days, according to data released by Eurocontrol, as the country approaches its traditionally busy Lunar New Year holiday period amid a jump in Covid-19 cases in some regions. On 25 January, the number of domestic flights was down 36% versus the same day in 2019, at 7,590 – the lowest total since May 2020, Eurocontrol data shows. Figures had reached near-parity – and sometimes exceeded – pre-crisis levels in the final few months of 2020. Indeed, domestic flights were on an upward trend from late February 2020 onwards, having plummeted to fewer than 2,000 per day as the severity of the Covid-19 situation became apparent in late January. With China saying it had brought the virus under control, domestic flight numbers trended upwards until they exceeded 12,000 per day at several points in October 2020 around the Golden Week holiday.<br/>