CAAC predicts China's international air travel market will increase 15% p/a over next five years

CAAC deputy director general Dong Zhiyi predicted (26-Sep-2016) China's international air travel market will grow by 15% p/a over the next five years, adding it will provide more opportunities for global airlines to open up the Chinese market. He noted China's civil aviation industry has grown by double-digits over the past 30 years. In 2015, China's air traffic increased 13.8% year-on-year and accounted for 21.3% of the global total. Also in 2015, China's international passenger traffic and new international routes increased by at least 30%, marking a record high. As of the end of 2015, China had bilateral agreements with 118 countries. 20 Chinese airlines operated to 138 foreign cities across 53 countries while 129 foreign airlines operated from 126 foreign cities to 57 cities in China. [more - original PR - Chinese]