European airlines have cut back on routes to Asia since the pandemic, bowing to tough competition from state-backed Middle Eastern carriers that have convinced passengers to fly via their hub airports with cheaper fares.
Airlines flew 22mn seats between Europe and Asia last year, down 26 per cent on 2019 and the lowest number in at least 14 years, other than during the coronavirus pandemic, according to industry data provider Cirium.
Travel between Europe and Asia has been complicated by the slow reopening of many Asian economies following the coronavirus pandemic. European airlines are also banned from flying over Russian airspace, resulting in longer journeys to much of east Asia.
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