CHINA AVIATION MARKET
Flight Data for China
Explore Chinese Flight Statistics | September 2025
Flight data insights and aviation analysis focused on China's airline market , with data powered by OAG's Schedules Analyser.
Track the Chinese aviation market through data insights including:
- The busiest airports
- Top Chinese airlines
- The busiest domestic air routes in China
- China's biggest cities for air capacity
- The top 20 countries Chinese travellers fly to
- And more
The data is updated monthly. Seats are calculated as departing seats (one-way). The data displayed in the charts below is available to download here.
TOP 10 BUSIEST AIRPORTS IN CHINA | September 2025
Which are China's biggest airports?
- Baiyun International (CAN) remains China's busiest domestic airport this month, with 3.2m seats, a 13% increase in capacity vs last year.
- Shenzhen (SZX) and Beijing Capital (PEK) airports remain close second and third busiest airports, with 2.9m and 2.8m seats respectively.
- Capacity reduced by 4% at Beijing Capital International vs last year.
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TOP 10 DOMESTIC AIRLINES IN CHINA | SEPTEMBER 2025
What are China's Top Airlines?
- China Southern Airlines is the busiest airline representing 16% of the domestic market with 11m seats in Sept 25.
- China Eastern Airlines holds 14% share of the domestic market with 9.8m seats in Sept 25.
- Percentage wise, Spring Airlines continues to make the biggest increase in capacity again vs last year, with a 24% increase in domestic capacity vs Sept 24. This reflects its robust financial position and the high demand environment.
- TianJin Airlines has displaced Juneyao Airlines with a marginal 562 more seats. Juneyao Airlines' capacity continues to decline by a further 10% this month.
TOP 10 BUSIEST AIRLINE ROUTES IN CHINA | SEPTEMBER 2025
Which are the Most Flown Airline Routes in China?
- Despite a further decline in capacity on the Beijing Capital Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao (PEK-SHA) route by 9%, it is the busiest route in Sept 25 with 600k seats.
- Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen (SHA - SZX) is China's second busiest route this month with 577k seats, 5% more capacity than Sept 24.
- The greatest capacity increases were on the Guangzhou to Hangzhou (CAN-HGH) route, increasing by 9% vs last year, followed by Guangzhou to Beijing (CAN-PEK) and Chengdu to Shenzhen (CTU-SZN) both of which increased by 8% vs last year.
CHINA'S BUSIEST CITIES BY AIRLINE CAPACITY | SEPTEMBER 2025
Which Chinese Cities are Key For Air Travel?
- Beijing remains the busiest city this month with 5.1m seats through the 2 main airports, representing 7% of the market.
- Capacity through Shanghai, the second busiest city with 4.6m seats, also represents 7% share of the market.
- Capacity in the city of Guangzhou increased at the fastest rate of 13% vs last year.
DOMESTIC VS INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE CAPACITY | SEPTEMBER 2025
How Much of Chinese Airline Capacity is Domestic?
- Domestic capacity accounts for 83% of all seats to, from and within China this month, with 70m seats.
- Overall capacity increased by 4% vs last year, with domestic capacity increasing by 3% and international capacity by 9%.
*As of July 2025, international capacity is reported on a two-way basis (previously one-way departing).
DISTRIBUTION OF CHINA'S INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE CAPACITY BY COUNTRY | SEPTEMBER 2025
Which Countries do Chinese Travellers Visit?
- Japan remains the busiest international market with 1.03m seats, with a 14% increase in capacity vs last year.
- The Republic of Korea is the next busiest international markets with 888k seats, up 6% vs Sept 24.
- International capacity continues to increase at the fastest rate of 40% to Viet Nam and in Cambodia by 73% vs Sept 24. These seat capacity increases are driven by the rapid growth in tourism and economic activity plus major airport infrastructure expansions, unlocking new routes.
- International capacity continues to reduce by 21% to Thailand vs last year with the market now half the size it was in 2019.
TOP 10 PROVINCES BY SEAT CAPACITY | SEPTEMBER 2025
The table shows domestic capacity by Chinese Province for this month and the same month last year.
China's Largest Provinces for Air Capacity
- The largest Province for scheduled domestic airline capacity remains Guangdong Province, accounting for 7.7m seats which is 11% of all scheduled departing capacity in Sept 25. This represents a 9% increase in capacity compared with Sept 24.
- Guangdong has 2.6m more seats than Beijing province, the second biggest province with 5.1m seats.
- Capacity increased at the fastest rate in Xinjiang Province again this month, increasing by 13% vs last year.

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