CHINA AVIATION MARKET


TRACKING THE TRAVEL RECOVERY IN CHINA

EXPLORE THE LATEST FLIGHT DATA TO TRACK THE TRAVEL RECOVERY IN CHINA | FEBRUARY 2025


Flight data and analysis focused on China's aviation market recovery, with data powered by OAG's Schedules Analyser. 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 | FEBRUARY 2025


KEY POINTS

  • Baiyun International (CAN) is China's busiest domestic airport this month, with 2.8m seats, despite a reduction of 20.1% in daily capacity vs last year. China Southern reduced capacity in Guangzhou by 320,200 seats, as part of its strategy to reduce its wide bodied fleet in response to market demand.
  • Shenzhen (SZN) and Beijing Capital (PEK) airports are a close second and third busiest airports, with 2.8M and 2.7M seats respectively. Daily capacity reduced at both by 8.4% and 6% respectively vs last year.
  • Daily capacity has reduced at all of the Top 10 airports in February 2025.

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TOP 10 DOMESTIC AIRLINES IN CHINA | FEBRUARY 2025

China's Top 10 Airlines by departing seats (one way)

KEY POINTS

  • China Eastern Airlines joins China Southern Airlines at the top of the rankings and they are now the joint two busiest airlines, both representing 15% of the domestic market.
  • Whilst China Eastern's daily capacity has remained constant, China Southern's daily capacity has reduced by 8% vs last year. China Southern is selling its 787-8s and focusing on its narrowbody aircraft to manage capacity growth more conservatively in response to market demand.
  • International travel has not fully restored to pre-pandemic level and there is increasing competition from high speed trains.
  • Percentage wise, Xiamen Airlines and Chengu Airlines have made the biggest increases in capacity vs last year, both with a 12% increase in daily domestic capacity vs February 2024.
  • Juneyao Airlines has reduced daily capacity by 14% vs last year, taking it to 12th busiest airline.

TOP 10 BUSIEST AIRLINE ROUTES IN CHINA | FEBRUARY 2025


KEY POINTS

  • Beijing Capital Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao (PEK-SHA) remains China's busiest route with 542,700 seats, an increase of 26% in daily capacity vs last year.
  • Daily capacity on the Chengdu to Shenzhen (CTU-SZN) route increased at the fastest rate of 32% vs February 2024.
  • Daily capacity has reduced most on the Guangzhou to Hangzhou (CAN-HGH) route by 9%, followed by the Guangzhou to Beijing Daxing (CAN-PKX) route where it has reduced by 8% taking it out of the Top 10.

CHINA'S BUSIEST CITIES BY AIRLINE CAPACITY | FEBRUARY 2025


KEY POINTS

  • Beijing remains the busiest city this month with 5m seats through the 2 main airports, with daily capacity increased by 2% vs February 2024.
  • Daily capacity at Shanghai, the second busiest city with 4.4m seats, has remained constant vs last year.
  • Daily capacity at Guangzhou, the fourth busiest city, has reduced by 14.3% vs February 2024.
  • The Top 5 cities account for 27.9% of domestic capacity this month.
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DOMESTIC VS INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE CAPACITY | FEBRUARY 2025


KEY POINTS

  • Domestic capacity accounts for 91% of all seats to, from and within China this month, with international making up the remaining 9%.
  • Whilst daily domestic capacity reduced by 1% vs last year, daily international capacity grew by 20%.

DISTRIBUTION OF CHINA'S INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE CAPACITY BY COUNTRY | FEBRUARY 2025


KEY POINTS

  •  Japan is the busiest international market with 1m seats. It has now recovered and exceeded 2019 levels, with a 56% increase in daily capacity vs last year.
  • The next 3 busiest international markets remain behind 2019 levels, however daily capacity has increased vs last year. Thailand, with 756,300 seats in February 2025, is 35% lower than 2019 capacity but daily capacity has increased by 7% vs last year.
  • International capacity is recovering most strongly vs last year to Malaysia, Viet Nam and Japan. Daily international capacity has increased by 49% to Malaysia and 41% to Viet Nam.
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TOP 10 PROVINCES BY SEAT CAPACITY | FEBRUARY 2025


The table shows domestic capacity by Chinese Province for this month and the same month last year.

KEY POINTS

  • The table shows domestic capacity by Chinese Province for this month and the same month last year. Daily domestic capacity has decreased by 1% vs February 2024 when the leap year is accounted for.
  • The largest Province for scheduled domestic airline capacity remains Guangdong Province, accounting for 7.2m seats which is 10% of all scheduled departing capacity in February 25. This is despite a 7% reduction in daily capacity compared with February 2024.
  • Guangdong has 2.2m more seats than Beijing, the second biggest province with 5m seats.
  • Daily domestic capacity has reduced by 2% in both Shandong and Jiangsu Provinces.
  • The Top 10 Provinces remains unchanged and account for 59% share of domestic capacity.
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