Chinese air travel posts biggest decline since start of pandemic

Airline seat capacity in China dropped the most since early in the Covid-19 pandemic, as rising cases of the delta variant spurred fresh restrictions on movement.
 

The number of seats being offered by carriers plunged 32% in one week, accelerating a decline in the country that began at the end of July, based on data from aviation specialist OAG. China’s wobble sent global capacity to a weekly 6.5% slide, as comebacks stagnated in Europe and North America.

The surge in Chinese cases has dealt a blow to tourism on the mainland during the peak summer holiday. China, which for