Foreign airlines to face new rivals on popular China routes as restrictions ease 热门中国航线限制放宽 外国航企面临新的竞争者

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Foreign airlines that fly on 20 popular long-haul routes to China will face fresh competitive pressure as Beijing begins to ease decade-old restrictions on Oct. 1, allowing more Chinese carriers to offer service.The change affects about 20 percent of Chinese long-haul daily capacity, according to data compiled for Reuters by Chinese aviation data firm Variflight.
It will turn up the heat on U.S. and European carriers like United Airlines and Air France KLM, which have higher costs, lower outbound demand from their countries and less cultural appeal to Chinese travelers. Foreign airlines to face new rivals on popular China routes as restrictions ease