International Airlines Flying to China in 2026: Route Expansion and Network Developments
There are numerous airlines operating flights to China, making it impractical to list every carrier in full detail. Nevertheless, based on the latest 2026 airline schedules and route updates, the major operating airlines and their recent network developments can be summarized as follows.
European Airlines: Increasing Capacity on Key Routes Despite Industry Headwinds
Despite cost pressures and broader industry challenges, major European carriers are increasing capacity on China-bound services for the 2026 summer season. Monthly nonstop flight rotations between China and Europe are projected to increase from 3,011 in May to 4,151 in August.
Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: For the 2026 summer-autumn schedule, the Air France-KLM Group will operate passenger services from four Chinese gateways: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei, connecting passengers to its major hubs in Paris and Amsterdam.
Specifically, Air France plans to add extra daytime flights between Shanghai Pudong and Paris on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from September to October, in addition to its existing daily service. This expansion will increase frequency on the route to 10 weekly rotations during the period.
Lufthansa Group: Lufthansa, SWISS International Air Lines and Austrian Airlines, together with codeshare partners Air China and Shenzhen Airlines, will operate more than 240 weekly flights between Europe and China during the summer 2026 season. This includes 101 weekly departures from Germany, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland.
Other European carriers: British Airways, Finnair, Turkish Airlines, Air Serbia and other European airlines have scheduled a significant number of flights to China for 2026.
Middle Eastern Airlines: Etihad Airways Launches Major Expansion
In April 2026, Etihad Airways announced one of its largest expansions into the Chinese market in recent years, introducing five new routes connecting Abu Dhabi with Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou, Chengdu Tianfu, Hangzhou and Shenzhen. The expansion adds 28 weekly flights to its China network.
Combined with its existing daily service to Beijing Daxing, Etihad Airways will operate a total of 35 weekly flights covering six destinations in mainland China. All new services will be operated with Boeing 787-9 aircraft under a codeshare agreement with China Eastern Airlines.
Chinese Carriers: Rapid Expansion of China-Europe Networks
Mainland Chinese airlines are carrying out an even more aggressive expansion of China-Europe routes during the summer 2026 season. According to OAG data, Chinese carriers plan to add 2,891 round-trip China-Europe flight rotations.
Air China: Adding 1,120 rotations, Air China will introduce new routes including Beijing–Venice with four weekly flights, nonstop services from Beijing and Chengdu to Brussels, as well as daily services between Frankfurt and Beijing Daxing and between Milan and Beijing Daxing.
China Southern Airlines: Adding 839 rotations, China Southern plans to launch the Guangzhou–Urumqi–Frankfurt route and increase frequencies on the Beijing Daxing–Helsinki route.
China Eastern Airlines: Adding 654 rotations, China Eastern will launch nonstop Shanghai Pudong–Zurich services three times weekly. It will also cooperate with Etihad Airways through codeshare arrangements to provide expanded connectivity between China and the United Arab Emirates, including routes from Shanghai, Kunming and Xi’an.
XiamenAir: XiamenAir will launch nonstop passenger services between Fuzhou and Amsterdam.
Other Notable Airlines
Mahan Air (Iran): Starting June 1, 2026, Mahan Air will increase Iran–China flight frequencies to 16 weekly rotations, operating nonstop services connecting Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou with Tehran.
Air Canada: Air Canada plans to resume its Toronto–Shanghai route during the summer 2026 season.
Overall Outlook
The international airline landscape connecting with China in 2026 reflects several clear trends: European carriers are strengthening key business and tourism routes, Middle Eastern airlines are pursuing rapid market expansion, and Chinese carriers are significantly increasing international capacity.
For travelers looking for direct flights between specific cities, the most reliable approach is to check individual routes through online travel agencies (OTAs) or the official websites of airlines, as schedules and frequencies may change throughout the year.
more article ： Why did Niccolo and Maffeo polo travel to China
