China’s domestic air traffic recovery faltering due to zero-Covid policy

China’s domestic air traffic, once the world’s envy after a fast rebound during the pandemic, is faltering due to a zero-COVID policy that has led to tighter travel rules in Beijing and weaker consumer confidence after repeated small outbreaks.

The outlook for the fourth quarter, normally a popular time for southerners to head north for winter breaks and northerners to head south for warmer weather, is dimming due to COVID-19 related disruptions https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-china-guangdong-idUSL1N2ST0DR at a time when international traffic is negligible.

“It’s very exhausting that the virus somehow always manages to make a comeback,” said Elaine Shen, a Shanghai resident who had to put off her domestic travel plans for the first time since the start of the pandemic due to cases in Shanghai.