China's total air transportation turnover sustained double-digit growth in April, with international routes showing particularly strong performance, data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) showed.
The civil aviation sector recorded a total transportation turnover of 12.93 billion ton-kilometers for the month, up 13.7 percent year on year. Of this, domestic routes accounted for 8 billion ton-kilometers, marking a 7.2 percent increase, while international routes contributed 4.93 billion ton-kilometers, representing a robust year-on-year growth of 26 percent.
In terms of passenger transport, strong travel demand supported steady growth in domestic passenger volume, with the growth rate rising by 4.9 percentage points from the first quarter. Meanwhile, international passenger traffic surged by 25.9 percent year on year.
"The international (passenger) market has emerged as a bright spot this month, particularly with the rapid increase in inbound demand from foreign tourists. The market has recorded a growth rate of over 20 percent, effectively contributing to the overall positive development of the passenger transport sector for the month," said Zhong Shan, chief economist at the Institute of Air Transport, China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology.
In terms of freight transport, domestic air cargo saw an accelerated growth rate in April, rising by 4.5 percentage points compared with the first quarter. Transport of international air cargo maintained strong growth momentum, posting a substantial year-on-year increase of 26.3 percent.
"From March to May, the domestic freight market recorded a 10 percent growth rate, driven by e-commerce festivals and the peak season for fresh fruit across various regions. Meanwhile, the continued expansion of China's foreign trade and growing ties with Belt and Road countries have further fueled the rapid growth of international air freight," said Zhong.
In addition, data from the CAAC showed that international routes performed strongly from January to April, with passenger traffic rising by 31.9 percent year on year, and cargo and postal traffic increasing by 22.6 percent year on year.
China sees double-digit growth in total turnover of air transport in April
