China, Airfare Drops 20% Due to COVID-19...

Passengers checking in at Nanning Airport.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] Due to the resurgence of COVID-19, airfares during the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival holiday (October 10-12) have dropped by 20%.

According to local Chinese media on the 8th, the average price of domestic airline tickets during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday is 636 yuan (approximately 126,000 KRW). This is a 20% decrease compared to the same period last year. Compared to this year's Dragon Boat Festival holiday, it is 29% lower.

The media analyzed that the decline is due to reduced demand caused by the resurgence of COVID-19 and strengthened quarantine controls. China's daily new COVID-19 infections fell to single digits in June but have since maintained four-digit figures.

In particular, quarantine measures are being strengthened ahead of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party, the largest political event, scheduled for October 16. Dalian in Liaoning Province has been under city lockdown since the 1st, and Shenyang has suspended operations of indoor crowded facilities since the 29th of last month. Chengdu in Sichuan Province, with a population of 21 million, has been under full city lockdown since the 1st. Although some easing measures were announced on that day, the majority of residents remain under lockdown.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.