China sees robust air‑travel demand this summer

China's civil aviation sector handled a total of 151 million passenger trips during the summer travel season from July 1 to August 31.

Data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) shows that about 2.442 million passenger trips took place per day, marking a 2.9 percent year-on-year increase.

According to air travel service platform Umetrip, cities such as Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai rank among the top domestic destinations during the summer vacation.

Some smaller cities with cooler temperatures, such as Zhangjiakou in northern China’s Hebei Province and Liupanshui in southwestern China’s Guizhou Province, have seen an increase of passenger volume of about 170 percent and 70 percent respectively year-on-year.

China Southern Airlines' flight routes from Beijing Daxing International Airport to Yining, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as flights linking Guangzhou and Hailar, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, are also highly favored by travelers.

Additionally, the passenger volume on China Eastern Airlines' Shanghai-Urumqi routes, the capital city of Xinjiang, increased by 51 percent year-on-year.

According to Beijing Capital International Airport, passenger volume over this summer holiday topped 14 million, representing a year‑on‑year increase of more than 12.8 percent.

International and regional passenger trips reached 1.878 million, averaging over 60,000 passengers per day and marking a new high since 2020.

Its network of international destinations has also expanded.

At present, passengers can travel to 217 destinations in 57 countries and regions worldwide from Beijing Capital International Airport.

New flight routes linking Beijing with Venice and Bishkek were also opened during the summer holiday.

Seoul, Bangkok and Singapore are among China’s top source markets for inbound tourists.

Meanwhile, China has emerged as one of the most popular destinations for European travelers.

Data from Umetrip shows that the number of European tourists to China exceeded 1.41 million from July 1 to August 25, a year-on-year increase of over 25 percent.