International travel demand flies high

More direct flights in and out of China take back to skies since COVID-19 optimization

With China's easing of entry restrictions, the global air travel market has embraced a golden opportunity for further recovery and carriers have been ramping up their international flight services to China to satisfy growing travel demand.

UAE-based carrier Emirates has expanded its operations in China in response to strong travel demand, with plans of increasing connectivity to Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Shanghai and Beijing as China reopened borders and eased COVID-19-related entry restrictions on Jan 8.

From Jan 20, Emirates resumed passenger service to Shanghai with two weekly flights operated by an Airbus A380 aircraft. The service increased operating frequency to four weekly flights from Feb 2. Emirates said it would further boost its Dubai-Shanghai route from March 1 with daily non-stop service.

The airline increased service between Dubai and Guangzhou with daily non-stop flights operated by the A380 from Feb 1. It will also resume flights to Beijing with daily non-stop service from Dubai beginning March 15.

By then, it will bring Emirates' operations in China to 21 weekly flights, providing more options for business and leisure travelers, and contributing to China's tourism recovery, the airline said.

Emirates said it welcomes the Chinese government's decision to further relax COVID-19-related travel restrictions. It is committed to serving demand for travel in and out of China and looks forward to the rapid recovery of the local travel market to pre-pandemic levels.

On Jan 8, China resumed quarantine-free cross-border travel after nearly three years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Avolon Holdings, a Dublin-based aircraft leasing company, said that driven by the reopening of the Asian market, especially China, global air passenger volumes are expected to fully recover in the next few months.