China’s Aviation Industry Picks Up Pace of Recovery

Domestic services rebound to 80% of pre-pandemic levels, but international flights and cargo volume lag behind

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The number of domestic air passengers reached 88.6% of pre-pandemic levels, while international air passengers recovered only to 12.4%

China's civil aviation industry is picking up the pace of recovery since the country dropped Covid-19 restrictions late last year. Domestic services bounced back to 80% of pre-pandemic levels, but the resumption of international flights has lagged behind.

During the first three months of 2023, Chinese airlines operated 1.06 million passenger flights, up 42.4% from the previous year and equivalent to 82.5% of the number in 2019 before the pandemic, according to travel data provider Flight Master. Since March 26, daily flight operations reached an average of 12,000.