The Civil Aviation Administration of China ( CAAC ) approved a number of new routes to European cities in the third quarter of last year for China’s major airlines. These include solutions to Bucharest, Dublin, Edinburgh, and Geneva.  ,
This expansion builds on various road additions in the same time, such as Air China’s Chengdu-Milan services, China Eastern Airlines ‘ direct journey from Shanghai to Marseille, and China Southern Airlines ‘ Guangzhou-Budapest way.
Chinese carriers now occupy the China-Europe way market, according to market data.  ,
Between Nov 27 and Dec 3, a total of 855 planes were operated between China and Europe, reflecting a 21.6 per cent improve year-on-year, as reported by aircraft data platform DAST.  ,
Importantly, over 84 per cent of these airlines were operated by Taiwanese companies, a significant increase from about 60 per cent in 2019.
DIFFERING ACCESS TO RUSSIAN AIRSPACE
According to observers, unequal access to Russian aircraft has been the main motivating factor behind Western airlines ‘ reversals while Chinese ships fly high.
In punitive measure in february 2022, Russia retaliated by excluding Western airlines and a number of other flights from its aircraft as a result of punishment for its invasion of Ukraine. The country’s largest state by land mass almost three years later successfully remains a no-fly zone for Western airlines.
Due to this, they have had to make lengthy, pricey detours, which have tremendously increased flight times and operating costs. In comparison, Chinese companies are also permitted to travel over Russia, attaining a competitive edge.
Prior to the invasion, Scandinavian Airlines ‘ planes from Shanghai to Copenhagen were generally 11 hours long. Following the rerouting, its last journey in November stretched to over 15 days.
According to Bloomfield from Propelo Aviation, the long-tail approach to Continental airlines also runs the risk of overcrowding aircraft in different sectors, which may cause longer flight delays and higher operating costs.
” If you want to go from Europe to Southeast Asia, for example, you go into India or the Middle East, typically flying across Turkey, through the Caucasus, and then around”, he explained.  ,
” When all the airlines are flying the same way, it’s ( manageable ) today, but you could eventually face capacity issues. If you were to put flights, from Beijing for instance, heading west to join that supply, it would further contribute to the gridlock”.
According to Bloomfield, the flight path and levels of energy efficiency are typically ideal. Aircraft may be asked to change their speed or path if airport capability nears its limits, which could have an impact on flight times and gas consumption.
However, the current situation may have possibly lessened those effects because the Chinese airlines now fly over Russia and there are currently fewer European carriers flying to and from China. In any case, Bloomfield noted that there is a cap on the number of times airlines can fly in either place.
In light of this, European carriers face a challenging task of keeping their roads to China, particularly as their Chinese rivals are extremely stepping up from the wings.
European carriers may lose money because the Chinese airlines have” but much” power and are “very intense” with their charges, noted Sobie from Sobie Aviation.  ,
” This is further exacerbated by the fact that the ( European ) carriers have longer flights. European companies simply cannot support flights into China in that atmosphere, it’s very clear”.
Analysts are also concerned about whether Chinese Airlines you keep expanding in Europe given the uncertainty surrounding passenger demand.
The “big three” carriers, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, all reported having reported quarterly profits, but their regular income from international routes dropped by about 30 % in the first quarter of 2024.