Nearly half of planned flights between China and Japan were cancelled in March, totalling 2,691 flights, as a diplomatic feud between Beijing and Tokyo—sparked by tensions over Taiwan following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's comments late last year—persists. Only 2,711 flights operated, down sharply from 5,512 the previous year. Chinese tourist arrivals in Japan plunged 55.9% year-on-year to 291,600.
This escalation follows China's December 2025 directives to travel agencies to sharply curb or halt group tours to Japan amid the Taiwan dispute.
Figures from data platform DAST, cited by Chinese media outlet Yicai, show the March cancellation rate hit nearly 50%, up 1.1 percentage points from February. Aviation intelligence firm OAG reported the sharp drop in operated flights. Data from the Japan National Tourist Organisation confirmed the visitor decline.
The reductions stem almost entirely from Chinese airlines, with Japanese carriers maintaining service frequency, per OAG. About 45% of planned flights from China to Japan for May have been cancelled, including 210 services over China's Labour Day holiday from May 1 to 5, Yicai reported citing Chinese flight trackers. OAG data shows 2,643 flights scheduled for May, a 55% drop from last year, and 2,376 for June, down from 5,598.
Airports in Beijing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Nanjing and Shanghai have been most affected. "It’s primarily a Chinese airline thing, which by extension is a political move," said John Grant, chief analyst at OAG.
