Civil aviation sector shows growth with release of upcoming flight season

China's civil aviation sector released its 2025/26 winter-spring flight season on Sunday, signaling steady growth in air travel demand and a continued recovery of international routes, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Running from Sunday to March 28, 2026, the new schedule involves 210 domestic and foreign airlines operating about 119,500 passenger and cargo flights weekly, up 1.3 percent from last year. International routes will also see a significant growth.

A total of 191 airlines plan to operate 21,427 international flights per week — a year-on-year increase of 10.8 percent — connecting China with 83 countries. Among them, 134 carriers, including 28 Chinese and 106 foreign airlines, will offer nearly 16,000 weekly passenger flights, a 5.6 percent increase. Cargo services will cover 49 countries, totaling 5,435 flights weekly, a rise of 1.7 percent.

The route network has been further expanded, with passenger flights between China and India set to resume after a five-year suspension, according to CAAC. New routes will link China with Oman and Argentina for passenger travel, and with Panama, Chile and Switzerland for cargo services.

The share of international passenger flights handled by China's top 10 international hubs — including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in Guangdong province — has reached 52.1 percent, up 8.6 percentage points year-on-year.

At Beijing Capital International Airport, daily operations will average about 1,243 flights during the new season, including 166 international services.

"We are expecting stable growth this season, with new routes to Tbilisi and Abu Dhabi bringing our total destinations to 212," He Yawei, an official at the airport's operation control center, said.

Beijing Daxing International Airport will operate about 979 flights daily, including 82 international and regional services, including the ones bound to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. China Southern Airlines has launched a new Daxing–Doha route, while China Eastern Airlines will open direct flights to Muscat on Nov 30, and add services to Bali, Phu Quoc, Kobe and Sapporo. China United Airlines also plans to expand routes to Japan and Southeast Asia.

Air China will operate 452 routes this season, including 127 international and regional services covering 46 countries and regions. The national flag carrier plans about 1,725 daily flights — 250 of them international and regional — representing a 13 percent increase in capacity from the previous winter-spring schedule. It will also boost frequencies on 17 international and regional routes, including Beijing-Seoul and Ho Chi Minh City, and launch a new Hangzhou-Hanoi service.