Japan Airlines pivots to Hong Kong market, Thai Airways explores other destinations amid sluggish demand among mainland Chinese travellers

Japan Airlines and Thai Airways are adjusting their flight plans due to a decrease in demand from Chinese travelers. They are now focusing more on routes to Hong Kong and Europe. During a conference in Singapore, airline leaders discussed the slow return of Chinese tourists to countries like Singapore, Japan, and Thailand. Thai Airways' CEO mentioned that they can't depend on China for their survival and are increasing their flights to Hong Kong. Japan Airlines is also experiencing low demand from China, with only 40% of the usual number of travelers. They are adding more flights to Hong Kong to compensate. Before the pandemic, China was a huge market for air travel, but now it's much smaller. Chinese tourists used to spend a lot of money on international travel, but after COVID-19, China's borders were closed, and international flights have been slow to start again. Even though China has lifted some travel restrictions, issues like visa complications and a preference for domestic travel have kept international travel from bouncing back. Airlines are now looking for new destinations to attract customers. Thai Airways is considering new routes to cities like Milan and Sydney. They are recovering financially and hope to finish their restructuring plan sooner than expected. Japan Airlines is also eager for more travelers, especially from North America and Asia, but the recovery is slow. The Japanese currency is weaker, making Japan a more attractive destination for tourists from Hong Kong, but Japanese people are traveling less due to the high cost of living. Airlines are noticing that more affordable destinations are becoming popular again.