Flight MU2152, operated by China Eastern Airlines, takes off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on March 8, 2024. China’s self-developed large passenger aircraft, the C919, commenced operation on a new route connecting Shanghai with the historical city of Xi’an in Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. Photo: VCG

Fares for outbound flights from Moscow to China surged after the deadly terrorist attack, especially for direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai operated by Chinese carriers.

For the flight from Moscow to Shanghai Pudong International Airport operated by China Eastern Airlines on Monday, the airfare surpassed 18,000 yuan ($2,520), the Global Times observed on Chinese online travel platform Ctrip on Sunday.

Airfares from Moscow to various Chinese cities were about 4,000 yuan before the incident.

The last direct flight from Moscow to Beijing Daxing International Airport on Sunday, which was scheduled to take off at 6:40 pm Russian time, cost 14,255 yuan and only a few seats were left, Ctrip showed.

Various Chinese carriers including China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Sichuan Airlines have taken special response measures, which allow passengers to refund or reschedule their tickets within a month.

Chinese online travel agency Qunar.com told the Global Times on Sunday that the platform had received ticket refund and reschedule notices from these carriers, and it vowed to strictly follow the notices.

China Media Group reported on Sunday that at least 137 people had been killed in a terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall music venue in the city of Krasnogorsk in the Moscow Region. There were no reports of Chinese residents being killed or injured as of press time.

Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, major European and US airlines have suspended their flights to Russia, but flights to Russia by airlines from China and Middle Eastern countries are still under normal operation, according to Chinese media outlet Yicai.com.

Three major Chinese cities Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province - all have direct flights to Moscow.

As of February, the flight volume from China to Russia had generally recovered to 93.9 percent of the level in 2019, flight information site Fly Master's data showed.

Global Times