This file photo shows the C 919, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, getting ready to fly in east China's Shanghai on May 28, 2023. PHOTO XINHUA China's civil aviation sector has maintained good momentum to continue its recovery in the first half of this year, officials and experts said.
The industry has generally recovered to the level before the COVID-19 epidemic, said Song Zhiyong, the head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. 284 million passenger flights were made from January to June, or about 88.2 percent of the volume for the same period in 2019. The volume of civil aviation mail and cargo transport was 3.28 million metric tons, about 93 percent of the matching period in 2019.
Li Xiaojin, a professor of aviation economics at the Civil Aviation University of China in Tianjin, said that the changes to China's COVID management measures had created a strong demand for domestic travel, including visits to family and friends, study, medical treatment and business.
Beijing Daxing International Airport is expected to surpass its record for domestic and international flights by handling 55,400 domestic and international flights with 7.9 million passengers.
China's daily flights rebound to 89% of pre-pandemic levels.
The 2023 summer season for flights began on July 1 and will end on August 31. During this period, about 70,000 flights handling 10.44 million passengers are expected at Beijing Capital International Airport.