Chinese carriers see soaring international traffic in 2024

Chinese airlines have reported significant growth in passenger traffic throughout 2024, especially on international routes, as many European carriers continued to halt services to China.

China Southern, China Eastern and Air China have all made notable gains when it comes to passenger traffic, carrying over 460 million passengers across their networks collectively during the year.

China Southern saw passenger volumes increase by 15.8% in comparison to annual traffic figures recorded in 2023, carrying 164.7 million passengers across its entire network. The airline saw a 94.2% increase in passenger traffic on international routes, in comparison to the year prior, carrying 17.6 million on these routes alone.

The airline recorded an average load factor of 84.4% over the 12-month period, up by 6.3 percentage points.

Similarly, China Eastern saw noticeable gains in passenger traffic on international routes. The Shanghai-based airline carried a total of 140 million passengers across its entire network during the year, with traffic on international routes surging by 151.7% in comparison to figures from 2023.

Additionally, the nation's flag carrier Air China carried 155.3 million passengers during 2024, again noting a significant increase in passenger traffic on international routes, carrying 16.3 million passengers, representing an increase of 141.9% in comparison to the year prior.

Many western airlines suspended services to China during 2024, as restrictions around operating over Russian airspace extended flight times and raised operating costs.