China’s airlines have soared to new heights in the first quarter of 2024, breaking records for air passenger traffic. According to data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, a total of almost 180 million trips were taken in the first three months of the year, marking a 37.7% increase from the previous year.
The surge in air travel can be attributed to government efforts to boost the nation’s tourism sector and strong demand for domestic holidays. The Lunar New Year holiday, which fell in February this year, saw an unprecedented 83.5 million trips made via air, a 51% increase from 2023 and a 14.5% increase from 2019.
Domestic routes accounted for the majority of air passenger traffic, with 160 million trips taken within China, a 14.3% increase from 2019. International routes saw a total of 14.1 million trips, reaching 78% of 2019 levels.
The nation’s top airlines also reported strong performance in March, with Air China Ltd. seeing a 50% increase in passenger traffic and China Southern Airlines Co. filling 82.3% of its seats, the highest load factor among the big three carriers.
While the growth rates may have slowed slightly in March compared to February, analysts believe this is to be expected following the Lunar New Year holiday travel boost. With the continued recovery of the aviation industry in China, the future looks promising for the country’s airlines.