FlightAl’s “2025 Civil Aviation Summer Travel Outlook” report shows that Japan and South Korea remain the most popular outbound travel destinations for Chinese tourists, with search volumes up 30% year-on-year.
Among the top 15 most searched outbound routes, the Shanghai–Osaka route saw a 27% year-on-year increase in searches. This route also recorded the second-highest increase in capacity for the summer, just behind the Shanghai–Los Angeles route.
As Chinese travelers’ enthusiasm for Japan soars this summer, airlines continue to boost capacity on Japan-bound routes.
According to DAST data from Flight Manager, the number of flights from China to Japan rose from 1,405 in the first (July 1-7) to 1,436 in the third week (July 15-21), averaging over 200 daily departures.
Notably, in the third week alone, there were 213 one-way flights from Shanghai Pudong to Osaka Kansai, averaging over 30 flights per day, with frequencies rivaling public buses.
With capacity rising, some airlines have resorted to aggressive discounting to win over passengers.
For instance, Japan Airlines launched a major promotion, with round-trip economy class tickets on the Shanghai–Osaka route starting from just RMB 590 (about USD 82).
However, the price plunge was short-lived.
Many travelers recently reported a sharp rebound in Japan-bound ticket prices after the initial drop.
This shift may be tied to broader efforts to curb price wars in the aviation sector.
At the National Civil Aviation Work Conference earlier this year, China’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) introduced price regulation measures for the first time—calling for stricter supervision of airfares during peak seasons and special circumstances to maintain market order.
According to an aviation blogger, authorities have begun coordinating with domestic airlines to reduce flight frequencies on Japan routes in response to overcapacity. The goal is to tighten supply and push prices upward—potentially triggering another round of fare hikes.
