CHINA AVIATION MARKET

Flight data insights and aviation analysis focused on China's airline market , with data powered by OAG's Schedules Analyser.

Here's an overview of the top statistics from China's aviation market this month:

• The busiest airport: Baiyun International (CAN) 
• Top Chinese airline (domestic): China Southern Airlines
• The busiest domestic air route in China: Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen (SHA - SZN)
• China's biggest city for air capacity: Beijing
• The top country Chinese travellers fly to: Japan
• Scroll down for more data from each category.

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.

Which are China's biggest airports?

• Baiyun International (CAN) remains China's busiest domestic airport this month, with 3.4m seats, a 10% increase in capacity vs last year.
• Shenzhen (SZN) and Beijing Capital (PEK) are the second and third busiest airports, with 3.1m and 3m seats respectively.
• Kunming airport has seen the fastest growth in capacity, up 11% compared to last year. Shanghai Pudong, Beijing Daxing and Guangzhou Baiyun follow closely, each increasing capacity by 10% vs  December 2024.
  

What are China's Top Airlines?

• China Southern Airlines remains the country’s busiest carrier, holding a 16% share of the domestic market with 10.7 million seats in December 2025. China Eastern Airlines follows with a 14% share of the domestic market and 9.5m seats in December 2025.
• Spring Airlines has recorded the largest year-on-year increase in capacity percentage-wise, with domestic seats up 18% compared to December 2024. China Southern follows, growing capacity by 15% over the same period.
• Airline capacity remained constant year-on-year for Juneyao Airlines.
  

Which are the Most Flown Airline Routes in China?

• Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen (SHA - SZN) remains China's busiest route this month with 669k seats, 16% more seat capacity than December 2024. Beijing Capital Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao (PEK-SHA) route is the second busiest route again this month with 650k seats.
• Seat capacity growth was strongest on the Shanghai Hongqiao–Shenzhen route, up 16% year-on-year, followed by the Hangzhou–Shanghai Hongqiao (CAN–SHA) route, which grew 13% compared with last year.
  

Which Chinese Cities are Key For Air Travel?

• Beijing remains China's busiest city for air travel this month with 5.4m seats through the two main airports, representing 8% of the market.
• Shanghai is the second busiest city with 4.6m seats this month - 7% of the market.
• Capacity at the city of Kunming increased at the fastest rate of 11% vs last year, followed by Guangzhou which increased again by 10%.
• Haikou displaced Zhengzhou from the Top 10, moving into tenth position.                                    
  

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