Passengers at the Beijing Daxing International Airport on December 7, 2025 Photo: Courtesy of Beijing Daxing International Airport

Chinese airlines' flights to Japan continued to plunge in early December, according to industry data released on Monday.

Data from civil aviation industry information provider Flight Master showed that the number of flights from the Chinese mainland to Japan in the 49th week (December 1-7) fell to a new low of 1,006. This figure represents a recovery rate of only 68 percent compared to that of 2019.

Based on the latest scheduled data, the cancellation rate for China-Japan air routes in December is now projected to reach 30.4 percent. This marks an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to the previous statistical period on December 1, Flight Master said. 

Photo: Screenshot of Flight Master

 
Previously Flight Master said on Friday that the number of flights from the Chinese mainland to Japan in the 48th week (November 24-30) was 1,167, marking the lowest weekly flight volume in nearly a month. The flight recovery rate also hit a new low, standing at only 78.1 percent.

On November 16, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism advised Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, citing security concerns. In a statement published on its official website, the ministry cited the travel advisory issued by the Chinese foreign ministry, which referred to a deteriorating security environment for Chinese citizens in Japan as well as recent provocative remarks made by the Japanese leader regarding China's Taiwan, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Global Times