All Nippon Airways Co. will continue to use smaller aircraft on Japan-China routes in December to cope with a decline in passengers, according to company officials.

The measure, taken since mid-October amid souring ties between the two countries over the Senkaku territorial dispute, will remain effective in December for the Narita-Beijing, Narita-Shanghai and Osaka-Beijing services.

But aircraft on the Osaka-Qingdao route will be upgraded to meet growing cargo transportation demand in areas such as electronic components, ANA said.

The number of passengers on ANA's China routes in October fell 24 percent from a year earlier.