According to a report by The Nikkei, the profit of Chūbu Centrair International Airport dropped by 97% in the previous fiscal year, mainly due to the ongoing impact of reduced Chinese flights.
As of May this year, the number of flights on China-Japan routes reached 2,643, a 55% decrease compared to the same period last year. In June, it dropped further to 2,376 flights, down 57% year-on-year. Although Chinese route capacity is expected to grow by 47% during the summer of 2025, the decline has been extremely sharp.
The current passenger load factor on these China-Japan routes is around 40–48%, far below the break-even point of approximately 70%.
Many routes are now operating at a loss, raising growing concerns about the sustainability of operations. ANA has significantly cut back its flight frequencies on China routes, while Japan Airlines may suspend its Narita–Shanghai Pudong service entirely for the entire summer and autumn seasons. Currently, most tourists perceived as "Chinese" in Japan actually come from regions such as Taiwan or Hong Kong.
Some online users have joked that this situation actually aligns with many Japanese people’s expectations—reportedly, 90% of Japanese citizens hold negative sentiments toward China. The Japanese government has also promoted messaging discouraging foreigners from visiting Japan. From this perspective, this outcome could be seen as a form of success in China policy. In short: what you seek, you get.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865408528101440/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.