Three more European airlines have recently joined their peers in scaling back operations in China as they grapple with sluggish demand and a Russian airspace ban that has made it harder to compete with Chinese rivals, reports Caixin. Poland’s national carrier, Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT, announced it would suspend direct flights between Beijing and Warsaw for the upcoming winter season, Polskie Radio reported last week.
On the airline’s website, its last bookable direct flight from Beijing to Warsaw for the winter season is scheduled to depart on Oct. 25. The next such flight available for booking on the website is scheduled for March 31.
The suspension was due to unsatisfactory ticket sales, in part as the company brings a “less competitive offer” to the market than airlines flying shorter routes between Europe and China, a spokesperson was quoted by Polskie Radio as saying.