According to data from VariFlight, during Week 21 of 2026 (May 18–24):
1、China's civil aviation sector operated nearly 96,000 passenger flights, averaging 13,784 flights per day, down 7.8% year-on-year. The flight completion rate stood at 75.8%. Domestic passenger flights totaled 81,880, an 8.68% decline year-on-year.
2、International flight volumes reached 12,219, down 2.9% year-on-year.
3、Average fleet utilization across China's civil aviation industry was 7.0 hours per aircraft per day, including 8.1 hours for widebody aircraft, 7.2 hours for narrowbody aircraft, and just 3.9 hours for regional jets.
The trend is becoming increasingly clear:
1、Total flight operations have been declining week after week, with year-on-year growth now turning negative. Domestic flights are seeing the steepest decline.
2、Flight completion rates have continued to weaken, showing a clear downward trajectory. The latest week's completion rate was the lowest recorded during the current cycle.
3、Daily aircraft utilization has continued to fall across all fleet types. Regional jets have been hit the hardest, with utilization dropping below four hours per day over the past week.
So what is behind this trend?
The chain reaction is relatively straightforward:
Jet fuel prices have doubled and remain elevated, pushing airline operating costs sharply higher. At the same time, fuel surcharges have increased significantly, making airfares more expensive for passengers and suppressing travel demand.
Faced with rising costs and weakening demand, airlines have little choice but to cancel low-efficiency flights in an effort to avoid operating services that lose money every time they take off.
As flight frequencies decline, aircrew inevitably log fewer flying hours. Fewer flight hours mean lower flight-hour allowances, which translates directly into lower incomes for pilots and cabin crew.
At the same time, losses have become unavoidable for many airlines. Since employee bonuses and performance-based compensation are closely linked to company profitability, weaker financial results are also leading to lower performance payouts and further reductions in employee earnings.
In short, airlines are cutting flights, crews are flying fewer hours, and paychecks are shrinking. The industry is increasingly caught in a negative cycle of rising costs, weakening demand, reduced capacity, and declining employee income.
