Three major Chinese air carriers are expected to fly more than 140 overseas routes as the winter/spring season started on Sunday, data from the carriers showed, which is a solid growth from the previous flying season.
Although flight activity is still far behind pre-pandemic levels, experts said that it manifested the regulator's efforts to gradually restore confidence in civil aviation.
Air China said on Friday that it will operate 52 overseas routes with 132 flights per week, and it plans to add international routes including Beijing to Johannesburg, Chongqing to Budapest and Chongqing to Ho Chi Minh City. The number includes resumed routes such as Beijing to Singapore and Hangzhou to Rome.
China Southern Airlines said it will have 47 overseas routes covering 203 cities in the new flying season, including resumed routes of Guangzhou to New York, Rome and Jakarta. China Eastern said that it will operate 42 international routes including Shanghai to Toronto, New York, Paris, Frankfurt, Auckland and Sydney.
Compared with the summer/autumn flight season that ran from March 27 to October 29, the number of overseas routes in the new flight season has increased significantly. Air China said it would fly 21 overseas routes. China Southern said it would fly 25 international routes in the summer and autumn season.
