According to data released on February 9 by Kansai Airports, the operator of Kansai International Airport, the number of passengers on flights to and from mainland at Kansai International Airport totaled 277,000 in January (preliminary figure), down 58% year on year.
Demand for travel to Japan declined after the Chinese government advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan. Although “the trend of flight reductions has temporarily stabilized” Kansai Airports said, it remains difficult to predict a recovery in flight numbers under the summer flight schedule starting in late March.
The total number of passengers on international routes also fell by 10% to 2.07 million.
While passenger numbers on routes to and from mainland China decreased, passengers on South Korea routes increased by 21% to 754,000, and those on Taiwan routes rose by 10% to 269,000. Passenger numbers on flights to and from Europe and the United States also recorded growth of around 10%.
In terms of international flight movements at Kansai International Airport in January, flights to and from mainland China dropped by 60%, contributing to an overall decline of 14%. Compared with December 2025, the number of flights decreased by more than 600. After entering January, flight reductions and suspensions continued to expand.
