Philippine Air cuts China flights amid weak demand, tensions

Philippine Airlines is cutting back flights to China, becoming the latest carrier to reduce traffic amid weak travel demand and fraying relations between Beijing and Manila. The Philippines’ national airline CEO Stanley Ng confirmed the reductions to Bloomberg News, in the latest draw down in flights between the two countries. It follows cuts by Cebu Pacific Air and Philippines AirAsia among others in recent months. China Southern Airlines Co. has also pared back its flights to the Philippines. Manila-based Philippine Airlines will reduce services to Beijing and Guangzhou in the coming months, scheduling data tracked by AeroRoutes showed. The carrier’s flights into China have failed to recover to anywhere near pre-pandemic peaks. The reduction in flights comes after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. outlawed online casinos catering to Chinese gamblers, an industry that he said stoked crimes including money laundering.<br/>