Dutch national carrier KLM has made adjustments to its flight schedule, cutting back on its services to Beijing and Shanghai. According to Aeroroutes, the airline will reduce its daily flights to Beijing from January to March, operating only five times a week instead of daily. Additionally, from January 8, KLM will decrease its weekly flights to Shanghai from seven to six. These changes are set to last until March 29.
Despite the schedule reductions, the airline will continue to operate the same aircraft on these routes. Flights to Beijing will be operated using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, while flights to Shanghai will be serviced by a mix of Boeing 777-200ER and 777-300ER aircraft. Overall, KLM’s capacity to mainland China will be cut by approximately 20%.
European Airlines Face Challenges in China
Several European carriers are either scaling back their operations in China or withdrawing entirely due to the financial struggles of operating there. Polish carrier LOT, SAS, and Virgin Atlantic are all planning to exit the Chinese market next month, while Lufthansa and British Airways have also reduced their services. The main issue is the ‘unlevel playing field’ created by the closure of Russian airspace. European airlines are forced to take longer routes, adding on average two extra hours to their flights compared to their Chinese competitors, making their operations less competitive.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, KLM operated flights to five Chinese cities, with nearly double the current capacity. However, the slow recovery of international travel and the ongoing limitations of Russian airspace have meant the market has yet to fully bounce back.
