Lufthansa has announced a halt in bookings for flights connecting Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), effective from October 26. This move aligns with actions taken by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, who have also scaled back their operations to China amidst ongoing challenges.

Originally, Lufthansa planned to run the Frankfurt-Beijing route five times weekly through the winter 2024-25 season with Airbus A340-300s, according to OAG Schedules Analyser. Now, the airline will maintain its Beijing service exclusively from Munich Airport, utilizing A350-900s for five weekly flights this winter. Nevertheless, Lufthansa will continue daily services to Shanghai Pudong International Airport from both Frankfurt and Munich hubs.

The closure of Russian airspace has notably lengthened Lufthansa’s Frankfurt-Beijing flights by up to two hours, adding to the operational costs. Meanwhile, Chinese airlines have maintained a competitive edge by continuing to fly over Russia to reach Europe.

Lufthansa pointed out that while nations such as China, the UAE, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia robustly back their aviation sectors, European carriers are increasingly hampered by political factors that impact their competitiveness. These challenges range from escalating fees and strict regulations to one-sided environmental policies and outdated infrastructure.

With Lufthansa’s exit from the Frankfurt-Beijing route, Air China will become the sole operator, currently offering 16 weekly flights on this sector with Boeing 777-300s, as per OAG data.

In related developments, Virgin Atlantic is set to cease its sole mainland China route by the end of the summer 2024 season, discontinuing flights between London Heathrow and Shanghai Pudong starting October 25. Similarly, British Airways announced in August a pause on its Heathrow to Beijing Daxing flights beginning October 26.

Conversely, as European carriers reduce their presence, Hainan Airlines is expanding its Europe-bound operations. The airline has scheduled the launch of a new route from Shenzhen to Madrid on November 19, planning to operate it twice weekly with 787-9 aircraft.

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