The total number of scheduled airline seats to China during a seven-day period leading up to and following the Chinese New Year is forecast to increase by 2% compared to 2024, and up 10% from 2020 levels, according to data from market intelligence and advisory firm IBA.
Over the week-long period from January 22 to February 5, 2025, China's three major carriers, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, are set to collectively service 15.7 million seats, representing a 40% share of the market during this period.
Airline capacity measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs) is projected to rise by 5%, in comparison to figures recorded during 2024, increasing from 59.8 million to 62.8 million in 2025. This marks a 7% growth from 2020 levels, with IBA noting that this increase represents an ongoing “recovery and expansion” of China’s aviation market.
Data from IBA also illustrates that international capacity of China’s airlines continues to recover, with international seats accounting for 17% of total scheduled capacity over the New Year period.
This represents an increase of 14% compared to 2024 but remains below the 23% share recorded in 2020.