Aviation analytics firm Cirium has published its latest data on flight numbers between Europe and China, with figures still “significantly down” compared to pre-pandemic levels.
A total of 1,320 flights are scheduled to depart Europe for mainland China this month, equating to nearly 400,000 seats.
This figure is down 56 per cent on May 2019, when 3,010 flights were scheduled, equating to around 900,000 seats.
However it is a massive improvement on numbers in May 2022, when only 73 flights departed Europe for China.
A total of 26 airlines are scheduled to fly between Europe and China in May 2023, up from 14 in the same month last year, but down from the 31 carriers in May 2019.
Earlier this year a report by The European Travel Commission (ETC) and Tourism Economics forecast that China-Europe travel is not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2026.
China-Europe travel not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2026
When the UK is taken alone, flight levels to China fare slightly better, with a total of 256 flights scheduled to depart for mainland China this month, down 30 per cent on the 380 flights in May 2019.
Last month Air China resumed flights between Beijing Capital International and London’s Gatwick airport, with the route increasing to daily since April 24.
