China-Canada Direct Flights Drop to One-Third of Pre-Pandemic Levels

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The number of international direct flights between China and Canada has only recovered to about 36% of the pre-pandemic level. Back in 2019, more than 70 weekly direct flights connected the two countries, with roughly two-thirds operated by Chinese airlines. Since October of last year, when Canada lifted restrictions on direct flights, the count has stagnated at around 24 flights per week.

Under new regulations, both Chinese and Canadian airlines are allowed to operate the same maximum number of direct flights. However, Chinese airlines currently hold a larger share of these flights, meaning Canadian airlines have yet to fully utilize their allocated quota.

In October, approximately 319 flights were operated between China and Canada, representing a 2.5 times increase compared to the same month last year. Moreover, the total number of international flights between the countries increased by 28% over the first ten months of this year compared to the previous year, according to data from a Chinese travel platform.

Yesterday, China announced a decision to resume group tour services for Chinese travelers visiting Canada through travel agencies, leading to a surge in flight searches between the two nations. Canada remains a favorite destination among Chinese tourists.

Since flights still have to navigate around Russian airspace, Canadian airlines tend to prefer routes over the Atlantic, which are more profitable given limited staff and transport capacity, an industry insider explained. Keeping the capacity on the China-Canada routes limited also helps stabilize ticket prices.

While flights between China and Europe have fully resumed post-pandemic, most of these are operated by Chinese airlines, as they are still permitted to fly over Russia—a privilege not available to European carriers.

Chinese airlines often enjoy a cost advantage on the China-Europe routes because they don’t have to detour around Russia, making their operations more economical than those of European airlines, according to industry experts. The China-Europe route has become a key market for domestic airlines to restart and expand international services.