(Yicai) March 25 -- Prices of direct flights from Moscow to China have significantly surged after a terrorist attack in the Russian capital city left at least 137 people dead.

Prices of air tickets from Moscow to China exceeded CNY10,000 (USD1,390) yesterday, as only a few were left. For Air China’s flight from Moscow to Beijing, only first-class seats priced at over CNY50,000 were available. China Eastern Airlines’ flight from Moscow to Shanghai is priced at over CNY10,000 until the end of the month.

On the evening of March 22, four terrorists entered a music hall near Krasnogorsk, a suburb of Moscow, and opened fire on the audience. Afterward, they set the building on fire. The attack caused 137 deaths and 152 injured.

Before the attack, flights from Moscow to Chinese cities were priced at around CNY4,000 (USD555).

However, some tickets can be found at cheaper prices. For example, the flight from Moscow to Sanya in China’s southernmost Hainan province is priced below CNY3,000, but only after March 27. Going to China from the Russian capital city transiting by Dubai or Abu Dhabi is also cheaper, priced at around CNY5,000.

Moreover, Yicai learned that following the terrorist attack, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern, and Sichuan Airlines issued special handling notices for Moscow routes, most of which offer free ticket refunds or flight changes within one month.

While many European and American airlines suspended flights to and from Russia after the breakout of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Chinese and Middle Eastern carriers have continued to operate flights as usual.

As of February, the overall flight volume from China to Russia recovered to 94 percent of the same period in 2019, one of the highest rates among European and American routes.

Editor: Futura Costaglione