Around 491,000 air tickets for flights from China to Japan have been cancelled following Beijing’s travel advisory urging citizens to avoid Japan. The cancellations, which surged over the weekend, affected more than 80 percent of scheduled flights on Sunday and over 75 percent on Monday, according to aviation analyst Li Hanming. He noted that cancellations were 27 times higher than new bookings, reflecting widespread safety concerns among Chinese travelers. Airlines have responded by offering full refunds for Japan-bound flights. The sudden drop in demand could cost airlines billions of yuan in lost revenue and may force short-term capacity adjustments if diplomatic tensions persist. Analysts compared the scale of cancellations to the early 2020 period when Covid-19 outbreaks caused a sharp decline in air travel during the Lunar New Year holiday. The situation underscores how geopolitical strains can rapidly disrupt regional travel and aviation markets.