Ever wanted to know why does the CAAC adjust China flights plan twice a year?

Starting October 30, the CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) will release the Winter/Spring list of flights to China. The new list will be valid till March 25, 2023.

The CAAC has to adjust the flights plan twice a year, and the two plans are called alternately Summer/Fall and Winter/Spring:

• The Summer/Fall plan will start on the Last Sunday in March and end on the last Saturday in October.
• The Winter/Spring plan will kick off on the last Sunday in October and end on the last Saturday in March of the following year.

Each of these plan will mainly include new routes/flights, adjustment of flight schedules, as well as the cancellation of some flights.

Why do flights change between seasons ?

There two reasons why the flights schedule changes:

• Taking into account the peak season of tourism, and the people travel cycle, each airline will adjust its existing flights schedule for the new season according to the revenue of these flights.
• The weather and air pressure vary significantly between the Summer/Fall and Winter/Spring which result in a great difference in flight standards. In order to ensure the safety of the flight, the flight needs to be adjusted.