Beijing Halts All Flights on 49 China-Japan Routes for February Amid Heightened Bilateral Tensions

BEIJING – Major Chinese airlines have formally cancelled all scheduled flights across 49 specific routes connecting mainland China with Japan for the entirety of February, according to data reviewed on January 26. This abrupt capacity withdrawal, which supersedes January's already elevated cancellation rates, underscores the persistent geopolitical friction shaping East Asian commercial aviation.Flight data compiled by platforms such as Flight Master indicated that these 49 routes now face complete suspension for the coming month, an escalation from January, where the cancellation rate for China-Japan flights stood at 47.2%, marking a 7.8 percentage point rise from December 2025 levels.The nation’s three largest carriers—Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines—simultaneously issued notices detailing special handling procedures for Japan-bound tickets. These measures cite a prior travel advisory issued by China’s Foreign Ministry, suggesting the operational scaling back is aligned with central government guidance following recent diplomatic disagreements.These policies grant passengers holding tickets purchased before midday on January 26 the option for one free ticket change, subject to fare differences, or a full fee-free refund for unused segments. Crucially, these provisions cover travel scheduled through the peak summer season, extending until October 24, encompassing major destinations including Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Okinawa.The current adjustments build upon earlier capacity management efforts initiated in December 2025, when airlines extended deadlines for refunds and rebooking until March 28, effectively concluding the winter-spring travel season under restrictive terms. These previous actions were directly linked to mid-November travel advisories discouraging trips to Japan, following critical remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concerning the Taiwan Strait.Economically, the sustained reduction in air links suggests a deliberate recalibration of demand, particularly impacting leisure travel segments. The cancellations signal that while diplomatic tensions persist, the commercial mechanisms regulating cross-border movement remain highly sensitive to geopolitical signaling, potentially dampening near-term tourism revenue and business travel fluidity between the world's second and third-largest economies.Source: Compiled from flight data platforms and carrier announcements.