Chinese airlines are expected to handle more than 90 million passenger trips during the upcoming Spring Festival travel rush in China, a figure that is likely to hit a record high, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
This annual travel rush, also known as "Chunyun," is usually a period of high transportation demand as people return to their hometowns for family reunions. The 2025 Chunyun will last from Jan 14 to Feb 22.
In the 40-day period, the average daily number of flights across China will reach 18,500, an increase of 8.4 percent year on year.
The scheduled flights at the Capital Airport and the Daxing Airport in Beijing will rise by over 5 percent during the travel rush.
Other popular destinations that will see the highest surges in travelers include ice and snow tourist attractions in the north, such as Harbin, Changchun and Urumqi, and winter escape spots in the south, such as Haikou and Sanya cities in Hainan Province.
"We encourage airlines to switch to larger aircraft on popular routes. We have rolled out an overtime policy in advance, supporting airlines to flexibly allocate capacity and deploy personnel to work overtime during Chunyun and in the week before and after. We support airlines to provide charter services for migrant workers and students, improve transit services between trunk and feeder routes and offer better transit options," said Xu Qing, director of the Transportation Department of the CAAC.
Owing to the constant expansion of China's visa-free policy, international passenger trips from and to the country will also peak in the period.
For Chinese travelers, the most popular destinations will be Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and other close countries.
The Spring Festival, the most important traditional festival in China, will fall on Jan 29 in 2025.
Chinese airlines to handle over 90 mln trips during Spring Festival travel rush
