Airlines in Philippines cut China flights on lower demand amid sea row, online casinos ban
One of the carriers, Philippine Airlines, says ‘the Chinese market has been slower to recover’ compared with other regions
Cebu Pacific said its Manila-Beijing service, which the low-cost carrier planned to restart since the Covid-19 pandemic, would be suspended until further notice.
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has also reduced flight frequencies to China, retaining only a few routes, including Shanghai and Xiamen.
“PAL’s decision to reduce flights to China aligns with a broader trend, as the Chinese market has been slower to recover compared to other regions following the pandemic,” Carlos Luis Fernandez, the firm’s executive vice-president, told The Philippine Star.
Philippines AirAsia stopped all services to China at the end of August, according to airline schedule tracking platform AeroRoutes, while China Southern has also cut its flights to the Southeast Asian nation.