What: China domestic aviation regulation expects domestic flights to increase +34% vs. prepandemic levels in 2023-2024.

Why it is important: Domestic retail has significantly increased in the country since the pandemic, but is it at the expense of international travel?

China's aviation regulator plans to increase domestic flights by 34% compared to pre-pandemic levels, aiding the recovery of Chinese airlines. Following this announcement, China's top airlines reported their first quarterly profits in over three years, indicating a positive turnaround from the COVID-19 pandemic's impact. The Civil Aviation Administration of China's new flight schedule, active until March 30, will introduce 7,202 new weekly flights from 516 new domestic routes, resulting in a total of 96,651 domestic flights weekly.

Flights in China to increase beyond prepandemic levels