Airlines have increased capacity to and from China as they ramp up flights after its border opening. However, flights are still only a tiny percentage of pre-pandemic levels, according to Cirium, a source of aviation data.
Cathay Pacific added more than 52,000 seats by opening its border with the mainland. Regarding round-trip seat additions, Cathay is in front of Chinese carriers Xiamen Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, and others. Airlines are only operating at 11% of pre-pandemic capacity, thus the additional power comes from a low base.
Analysts predict that Chinese airlines will benefit most
immediately from the nation's reopening to foreign trade. Over the past week,
international capacity to and from China has increased by 23%. While Western carriers
struggle with capacity issues, Chinese airlines have maintained most of their wide-body aircraft and workforce.
According to Cerium data, seats to and from China will
increase to 4.3 million per month in April. The April number would equal about
25% of the capacity experienced in 2019. After the commencement of the summer
airline season in April, a significant increase in capacity is anticipated.
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