Chinese ‘Big Three’ domestic traffic hits 2021 low

Domestic traffic in August at China’s three largest airlines hit a new low in 2021 as parts of the Chinese mainland battled a surge in coronavirus infections caused by the more contagious Delta variant. In traffic results released for August, the ‘Big Three’ — comprising Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines — all carried significantly fewer passengers compared to the same period in 2020, as well as in July. Capacity, too, was significantly cut during the month. The latest wave of infections originated from the eastern city of Nanjing in late-July, and its rapid spread across large swathes of the country forced Chinese authorities to tighten social distancing measures, including limiting non-essential domestic travel. While the latest wave of infections did little to hurt the carriers’ July traffic, it had a significant impact in August. Air China flew 3.16m domestic passengers during the month, nearly 57% lower year on year, and a 58.5% decline compared to July. Capacity was cut 42% compared to the same period in 2020, while traffic declined 54% year on year. On a month-on-month basis, the Beijing-based carrier reported a 46% and 58% reduction in capacity and traffic, respectively. The latest traffic results come as the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said the wave of infections posed a “severe test” for Chinese carriers. <br/>