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New | Chinese airlines fly high as tourists get on board

Passenger figures show popularity of international tourism continues to rise

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Workers roll out the first C919 passenger jet plane at the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd (COMAC) in Shanghai, China. Photo: EPA

China’s appetite for international travel is surging, undeterred by slowing economic growth, and the country’s airlines are picking up extra passengers as fast as they are adding capacity.

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Air passenger traffic in China, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, increased 15.1 per cent year-on-year in the first eight months of the year.

International travel was especially strong, with RPK on international routes surging by 29.1 per cent, according to figures compiled by Fitch.

“The demand is driven by fast-growing overseas travel as more countries provide easier access to Chinese citizens, consumers’ appetite for leisure travel overseas grows, and air travel becomes increasingly affordable,” said Karl Shen, associate director of corporate research at Fitch, noting that Asian countries accessible by short-haul flight were the most popular destinations.

Domestic traffic also grew, but at the lower rate of 9.9 per cent year on year.

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Meanwhile, the RPK growth of 11.4 per cent on domestic sectors suggested that travellers were opting to use air travel for longer trips inside China.

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