Air-service data compiled by AeroRoutes show that Chinese carriers have cancelled 48 nonstop routes to Japan for the remainder of the northern-winter 2025/26 season, reducing weekly flights from 1,106 to 510 and slashing seat capacity by 53 percent.
The cuts, effective from 21 December, affect 12 Chinese airports—including Changsha, Kunming and Ningbo—that now lose all direct service to Japan. Osaka Kansai is the hardest-hit Japanese gateway, with Chinese-operated flights falling from 513 to 172 per week. Beijing Capital–Nagoya, Shanghai Pudong–Kagoshima and Shenzhen–Sapporo are among the terminated routes.
![Chinese Airlines Slash 48 Japan Routes, Cutting Capacity by More Than 50 %]()
Airlines are responding to weaker yen-denominated leisure demand, rising fuel costs and diplomatic headwinds following the Fukushima wastewater release earlier this year. For corporate mobility planners the key risk is itinerary disruption: travellers may need to route via Seoul or Taipei, extending door-to-door journey times by up to four hours.
VisaHQ can help organizations and individual travelers stay ahead of these changes by expediting both Chinese and Japanese visa applications, tracking shifting entry requirements, and offering real-time status updates through its easy online portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/). The company’s courier and document-review services can shave days off processing times, a valuable buffer when flight options are shrinking and connections grow more complex.
Travel-management companies are advising clients to book early, lock in flexible tickets and consider virtual meetings where feasible. Some capacity may return for the 2026 Sakura season, but carriers warn that further reductions are possible if yields do not improve.
The cuts, effective from 21 December, affect 12 Chinese airports—including Changsha, Kunming and Ningbo—that now lose all direct service to Japan. Osaka Kansai is the hardest-hit Japanese gateway, with Chinese-operated flights falling from 513 to 172 per week. Beijing Capital–Nagoya, Shanghai Pudong–Kagoshima and Shenzhen–Sapporo are among the terminated routes.
Airlines are responding to weaker yen-denominated leisure demand, rising fuel costs and diplomatic headwinds following the Fukushima wastewater release earlier this year. For corporate mobility planners the key risk is itinerary disruption: travellers may need to route via Seoul or Taipei, extending door-to-door journey times by up to four hours.
VisaHQ can help organizations and individual travelers stay ahead of these changes by expediting both Chinese and Japanese visa applications, tracking shifting entry requirements, and offering real-time status updates through its easy online portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/). The company’s courier and document-review services can shave days off processing times, a valuable buffer when flight options are shrinking and connections grow more complex.
Travel-management companies are advising clients to book early, lock in flexible tickets and consider virtual meetings where feasible. Some capacity may return for the 2026 Sakura season, but carriers warn that further reductions are possible if yields do not improve.
