Recently, amid mounting geopolitical tensions and persistently high jet fuel prices, several European airlines have cut capacity and raised fares. Against this backdrop, however, major European carriers including Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and Lufthansa are moving in the opposite direction, adding more direct flights to China for the summer season.
According to data from UK-based aviation intelligence firm OAG cited by Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, monthly direct flights between China and Europe are expected to rise from 3,011 in May 2026 to a summer peak of 4,151 flights in August. By comparison, May 2025 traffic levels were similar to this year, but August only reached 3,393 flights. The latest round of capacity increases includes planned schedule expansions by Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways, Finnair, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, and Air Serbia.
According to information provided by the Air France-KLM Group — one of Europe’s largest airline groups, formed through the merger of Air France and KLM — the company will maintain a total of 44 weekly passenger flights from four Greater China gateways — Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Taipei — during the 2026 summer-autumn season from March 29 to October 25. These flights will connect to the group’s two major hubs: Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
The schedule breakdown is as follows: Beijing (Air France 7 weekly flights, KLM 6 weekly flights), Shanghai (Air France 10 weekly flights, KLM 6 weekly flights), Hong Kong (Air France 7 weekly flights, KLM 4 weekly flights), and Taipei (KLM 4 weekly flights).
On top of this, Air France will launch an additional daytime Shanghai–Paris service between September 11 and October 14, 2026. The new flights, operating every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle, will complement the airline’s existing daily overnight service, increasing the route to 10 weekly frequencies during the period.
Combined with KLM’s six weekly Shanghai–Amsterdam flights, the Air France-KLM Group will offer up to 16 direct weekly flights to Europe from Pudong Airport alone, while leveraging its dual-hub transfer network to connect passengers onward to destinations worldwide. The newly added daytime flights will complement existing overnight departures, providing greater flexibility for both business and leisure travelers.
According to an analysis by US travel industry outlet eTurboNews, the latest counter-trend expansion by European airlines on China routes is being driven by three key factors.
First, travel demand linked to China is recovering strongly. China’s continued expansion of visa-free policies has significantly lowered travel barriers, boosting two-way flows of both Chinese travelers heading to Europe and European visitors traveling to China.
Second, conflicts in the Middle East have increased both costs and uncertainty along traditional Europe–Southeast Asia transit corridors, prompting some airlines to redeploy widebody aircraft toward China-bound routes instead.
Third, European airlines are increasingly wary of “permanently losing the China market.” As a result, many carriers are willing to accept thinner profit margins in exchange for preserving valuable airport slots in China and maintaining long-term customer relationships.
