China-Europe travel market’s resilience keeps Air France-KLM optimistic despite headwinds

Despite China-EU trade frictions, Paris and other European cities remain the top destinations for Chinese travellers, with growing China-France trade and visa-free entry spurring companies like Air France-KLM to explore new opportunities.

The Franco-Dutch airline group reported strong inbound demand from Europe in 2025, driven by China’s visa-free policy for travellers from more than 30 European nations, covering both business and leisure segments.

In the first three quarters, the company posted a 6 per cent year-on-year increase in unit revenue from its Asian market, with a passenger load factor of 89 per cent, according to its earnings.

“These are very healthy financial figures,” said Steven van Wijk, Greater China general manager at Air France-KLM. “Our approach is to remain flexible and responsive, ensuring we can continue to serve the China-Europe market even in a challenging environment, and we are working closely with our Chinese partners to capture new opportunities.”

The underlying China-Europe market was robust, said van Wijk, who relocated to Beijing several months ago. “I’m optimistic about the future prospects. I’m also highly confident in the Chinese market and the two-way trade relations,” he said. “Our commitment to China is long-term.”