Fewer than ten Asian cities will have direct flights to Paris this winter. A closer look at the airlines' winter schedules reveals just that.
What's more, these programmes are nothing more than forecasts because of the evolution of the pandemic and the conditions of entry into the countries concerned. Air France's winter schedule in Asia reflects this.. The carrier had announced the resumption of its flights to Bangkok, Ho-Chi-Minh City and Tokyo. It recently decided to postponing its return to these three cities.
Bangkok and Saigon will not reappear in the Air France timetable until 2021. Service to Tokyo-Haneda is scheduled to start on 9 December.
Little change in China
The Chinese government is sticking to its policy of allowing only one or two flights a week on international routes. This is accompanied by draconian entry conditions, including strict quarantine and surveillance worthy of an Orwellian novel.
Air France dessert though Shanghai-Pudong with two flights a week. Beijing will return to the airline's timetable, but only at the end of March 2021. Chinese airlines are in the same boat. Air China has no direct flights from Paris on its website.
China Eastern, on the other hand, serves Shanghai-Pudong once a week and China Southern Canton once a week.. Hainan Airlines also offers occasional flights to Chengdu in November.
The only gateway to China remains Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific will be offering three flights a week this winter, starting in December, the company having postponed its planned return in November. Air France serves the city with five weekly flights (6 scheduled for December).
Finally on Taipeialone Eva Air offers a weekly service from Paris-CDG.
Daily flights to Korea and Japan
Korea and Japan are among the countries with the best connections from Paris this winter. Korean Air offers three frequencies per week to Seoul-Incheon in its winter schedule, whileAir France has scheduled four rotations to the Korean metropolis. The airline plans to add a fifth frequency from November. It should be noted that two of Air France's flights to Seoul have been extended to Shanghai.
Japan continues to be served by three airlines. The two Japanese giants All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines each run three times weekly between Paris-CDG and Tokyo-Haneda. However, Air France is delaying the resumption of its flights to Haneda until 9 December. The airline will be offering five flights a week. However, it is the only airline to offer three flights a week to Osaka-Kansai.
On theIndia, Air France is the most active, with five frequencies a week to Delhi and Bombay.. Air India offers a daily flight to Delhi.
South-East Asia: the absence of Thailand and Vietnam
In the end South-East Asia, which continues to be most affected by the reduction in flights. This situation is mainly due to the very severe restrictions preventing visitors from returning.
A return to Thailand is proving particularly complex. Not only because of the mandatory 14-day quarantine, which is very costly for foreigners. But also because of the Thai Airways flights suspended for an extended period International on its intercontinental routes.
The Thai airline, which is in receivership, has stopped all its international flights since April. It has just announced that it is postponing the resumption of its flights for the fifth time.
Thai Airways International now plans to resume international flights on 1 Decemberbut without any insurance. For Paris, the company gives a timetable of three weekly flights by Boeing 777-300ER. Air France has also postponed its return to the Thai capital (see above).
The continued total closure of international borders to the Vietnam also slows down any return of Vietnam Airlines to Europe. Bookings on the only route planned with mainland Europe (Frankfurt-Hanoi once a week) have been cancelled.
Remains in this part of Asia only Singapore by direct flight from Paris. Air France just like Singapore Airlines each operate three flights a week to the city-state. While entry conditions into Singapore remain virtually impossible, the authorities have set up a special circuit for passengers in transit through Changi airport.
To other countries in South-East Asia, Malaysia Airlines has booked a weekly flight to Kuala Lumpur from London Heathrow, Garuda Indonesia serves Amsterdam-Jakarta twice a week and Philippine Airlines operates two weekly flights from London-Heathrow to Manila. Last but not least, KLM offers flights from Amsterdam via Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Manila.
