The ongoing conflict between China and Japan continues to affect air travel between the two countries, with flight cancellations mounting steadily.
A total of 2,312 flights were canceled in July and August, accounting for 30.7% of all scheduled flights, according to flight data provider Flight Master DAST. In July alone, 1,195 cancellations were recorded, representing 31.4% of scheduled flights, as reported by the South China Morning Post on Saturday (September 6, 2026).
According to Flight Master, Japan dropped out of the top three international destinations for Chinese travelers during the July–August period, falling behind South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Li Hanming, an independent aviation analyst, said 780 flights on China-Japan routes were canceled in September, based on “no tickets available” notices. He noted these cancellations spanned between 150 and 200 routes.
A Stark Contrast to China’s Record Summer
This decline stands in stark contrast to China’s aviation sector’s record-breaking performance this summer, during which airlines carried more passengers overall while keeping fares low to stimulate demand.
Chinese airlines handled 153.64 million passenger trips between July 1 and August 31, an all-time record, up 4.4% from the previous year, according to Flight Master estimates. International passenger traffic rose 3.1% during the same period.
The average passenger load factor, measuring the percentage of available seats filled, rose to 87.4% during this period, up 1.7 percentage points from the previous year, according to Flight Master. August set a new record high of 88.8%.
Behind the Decline: Diplomatic Tensions
This decline in travel comes amid worsening relations between Beijing and Tokyo since November, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made controversial remarks regarding Taiwan.
One of the measures taken in response to this dispute was Beijing issuing a travel advisory urging its citizens not to visit Japan. Demand has continued to decline steadily since, prompting Chinese airlines to cut flight frequencies on these routes.
The number of tourist visits from China fell 56.1% year-over-year in July, continuing a downward trend that began in December 2025, according to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO). Over the first seven months of the year, visitor numbers from mainland China dropped 56.3% year-over-year.
Japan Lagging Behind Other Destinations in Recovery
Flight capacity from China to Japan has only recovered to 46.4% of levels recorded during the same period in 2019, according to Flight Master data. By comparison, flights to South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Russia, and Indonesia, among others, have already surpassed their 2019 flight levels.
