Spring Festival travel rush kicks off, sets records in aviation sector

The Spring Festival travel rush, the world's largest annual human migration, began Tuesday with projections of more than 90 million air passenger trips, setting a new record. Airlines and airports have ramped up preparations to better serve international passengers and outbound Chinese travelers.

The 40-day travel rush, concluding Feb. 22, is expected to break passenger volume records in China's aviation sector. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) estimates daily passenger trips will exceed 2.25 million, supported by an average of 18,500 flights per day, an 8.4% increase from last year.

On Tuesday alone, 18,354 flights were scheduled, accommodating an anticipated 2.04 million passenger trips. Routes between major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu remain in high demand, according to the CAAC.

Beijing's airports are key to managing the surge in traffic. The CAAC North China Regional Administration said Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport are expected to handle 92,000 flights during the travel rush, up 21 percent from last year. Peak travel days at both airports are projected to begin Jan. 24, with daily inbound and outbound flights surpassing 2,300.