Chinese carriers seize two-thirds share of post-pandemic air routes

Geopolitical headwinds and economic uncertainties continue to disrupt the aviation industry’s post-pandemic recovery, IBA says

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An Air China Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner taxis before takeoff at Beijing Capital Airport on May 9, 2026. Photo: AFP

Zhu Wenqianin BeijingPublished: 9:00am, 6 Jun 2026

Chinese carriers have captured an expanding slice of the international air travel market for routes connecting Chinese and overseas cities since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data presented at an industry summit in Beijing on Friday.

Local carriers currently held a 66.5 per cent market share compared with 33.5 per cent for foreign airlines, said IBA Group, a UK-based aviation intelligence company, which organised the event.

Pre-pandemic, it was a 50:50 split between domestic and foreign carriers. Geopolitical headwinds and economic uncertainties continue to disrupt the aviation industry’s post-pandemic recovery, according to a speaker at the summit.

Stuart Hatcher, chief economist and chief data officer at IBA, said global demand as measured by revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) would be depressed by about 1 per cent to 3 per cent due to the Middle Eastern conflict and rising oil prices.

After a robust recovery in intra- and inter-regional travel demand, the ongoing conflict has derailed Middle East and through traffic. Middle Eastern carriers saw their available seat kilometres (ASK) slump by 50 per cent year on year in April, according to IBA.

Fuelled by strong demand at home, Chinese carriers posted a 0.3 per cent year-on-year rise in ASK in April.