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China prepares for record summer air passenger traffic; demand boosted by lower fares
July 4th 2025
China is forecasting northern summer 2025 will be a record for air passenger traffic as fierce competition among airlines drives down average ticket prices. Read More » Airlines will have the capacity to fly 150 million passengers in July and August, a 7% increase from a year ago and an all-time high for the summer season, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said. Daily passenger volume could peak at 2.6 million, surpassing the 2.48 million air travellers carried in the Lunar Year holiday of last February. For the two months to August 31, the average price of an economy class ticket is CNY839 (US$117), an annual drop of 1.3% and 3.1% lower than in the same weeks in 2019, data provider Flight Master said. Some airlines are absorbing excess capacity by selling ultra-low prices, resulting in inefficient and homogeneous competition, CAAC’s Song Zhiyong, said at a recent industry conference. He added that while the market continues to expand, this strategy has led to revenue growth without corresponding increases in profits. China Eastern Airlines (CEA) will operate an average of 3,200 daily flights this summer, 5% more than the matching months in 2024. Juneyao Airlines will offer potential travellers 24,000 flights during the holiday weeks, including 4,150 international services, a 4% year-on-year increase. At June 26, domestic bookings for July had reached 17.9 million, up 5% on the previous year. International bookings were 14% higher year-on-year at 7.7 million, Umetrip.com, a flight information website, reports.
