China’s domestic civil airlines will open 95 new international routes along Belt and Road countries in the new season, the China Securities Journal reported on Monday. The new routes will be mainly concentrated in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and South Pacific countries.
Foreign airlines that operate in China will also open 18 international routes, mainly in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Kazakhstan and other countries, the report said.
According to the Civil Aviation Administration, the new season plan involves a total of 50 domestic airlines, 13 Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan airlines and 143 foreign airlines, with an average daily flight total of 14,460. That number represents a 5.7% increase compared to last year.
The Civil Aviation Authority stressed that compared with the previous season, the new season plan will be focused on optimizing the flight plan structure.
“We focus on regulating the amount of flights in busy areas on the eastern coast, (and) at the same time relax flight control in the northwest and northeast. We also plan to optimize early departure structures in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other airport hubs to further increase safety and improve flight efficiency,” it said.
Cheap fares to Belt and Road destinations will boost the Chinese tourist arrivals and local economies.