Flights to Japan from China fully booked

 Direct translation

CCP warning ineffective? Industry Insiders: Flights to Japan fully booked

Reporter : Xing Du / Editor : Li Mu'en / https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/25/11/19/n14638760.htm / Image : Netizens posted photos of a Japanese flight cabin, showing no decrease in passengers. (Screenshot)

After the CCP issued a warning to the public to avoid traveling to Japan, it was reported that several airlines had cancelled 500,000 tickets to Japan. However, aviation industry professionals in Shanghai and Shenzhen disclosed to the Epoch Times that flights were taking off and landing as usual, and seats were nearly full. Netizens posted photos of a Japanese flight cabin, showing no decrease in passengers. Chinese travelers are still traveling to Japan as usual. Scholars say that the public's failure to adjust their itineraries according to the official warning is a mature sign.

Amidst tense Sino-Japanese relations, the CCP's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently issued a warning to the public to avoid traveling to Japan. The South China Morning Post reported on 17 November 2025 that several Chinese airlines cancelled approximately 491,000 tickets to Japan within three days, accounting for more than 30% of bookings. The report quoted aviation analyst Li Hanming as saying that the cancellations were due to booking changes and did not indicate any airline adjustments to flights. Chinese airlines allowed passengers to get free refunds or changes to their tickets between 15 November and 31 December 2025.

Xiao Ting, a staff member at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, told The Epoch Times on 19 November 2025 that demand for routes to Japan has been consistently high. Bookings exceed actual demand. The large number of cancellations is a result of booking backflows; flights from Shanghai to Japan have not been cancelled. She said, "Flights used to be fully booked, now they are almost fully booked. Although some people are cancelling their tickets, their seats will be filled by other passengers."

Xiao Ting continued that flights to Japan are still operating as scheduled. The cancellations on the passenger side have not resulted in flight reductions. She said, "Our company's ticket revenue hasn't changed significantly."

Ms. Zhou, a staff member at Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town International Travel Agency, told reporters that in the past few days, some passengers who booked tickets to Osaka, Japan online have cancelled their bookings through the app but the situation is not significant. She said, "Cancellations are still in the minority. Even if someone cancels, someone quickly fills the vacancy. Flights maintain their original schedules. I haven't heard of any cancellations due to boycotts of Japan recently."

Tian Li (pseudonym), a flight attendant supervisor at an airline, told reporters that although it is currently the off-season for travel to Japan, the number of passengers flying from Guangzhou to Tokyo and Osaka is the highest. She said, "A round-trip ticket to Tokyo costs an average of two to three thousand yuan. Even if some passengers cancel their tickets, it won't affect flight operations. Moreover, some people cancelled their tickets a few days ago. Starting yesterday, the number of cancellations has decreased significantly. More people are buying tickets to Japan."

Tian Li said that demand for Japan routes is consistently high. Bookings exceed actual demand. The large number of cancellations is a natural correction. She said, "I don't believe the reports of 500,000 tickets being cancelled. It doesn't actually have much impact on Sino-Japanese relations. Passengers usually cancel their tickets too. Don't believe the claims of 500,000 cancelled tickets."

Several netizens shared photos of the cabin of a plane bound for Japan on social media. The seats were all occupied. One netizen said he thought he was the only one traveling to Japan. After boarding, he saw the entire plane was full. He said, "They're all disobedient children."

As of 19 November 2025, flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and other cities to Japan were still operating normally. The Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has not released any information regarding reductions in Sino-Japanese flights. The Civil Aviation Administration of China's 2025-2026 winter/spring flight schedule shows an increase in the number of weekly international flights. Sino-Japanese routes have not been adjusted separately.

Five days earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raised the issue during a parliamentary questioning, suggesting that a "contingency in Taiwan" could constitute a crisis for Japan's survival. On the same day, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassies and consulates in Japan issued a reminder, advising Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near future. Several Chinese airlines announced free refund and change policies on 15 November 2025. The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Tourism subsequently issued study abroad and travel advisories. Japan is one of China's major outbound destinations. Flights between the two countries have gradually resumed after the pandemic. The Civil Aviation Administration of China's winter/spring plan shows that routes between China and Japan will remain operational.

Regarding why Chinese citizens continue to travel to Japan despite government restrictions, scholar Zhang Chen told reporters that the CCP's issuance of advisories during periods of political tension aims to shape its external stance through administrative directives. Such advisories have not had a significant effect on society. People's travel decisions are largely based on personal judgment. He said that most people have developed the ability to independently assess risks. Official external signals may not change individual arrangements. The fact that there were no large-scale flight cancellations and tour cancellations this time indicates that the actual effectiveness of the CCP's administrative dissuasion is limited.