Passenger traffic at the airports in the Chinese mainland rose by 16.7 percent year-on-year to 332 million last year, according to the General Administration of Civil Aviation.

 

 

The figure included 32.63 million on international routes, up 14.6 percent, and 299 million on domestic routes, up 17 percent.

 

Cargo and mails transported via the airports amounted to 7.53 million tons, up 19 percent. The total included 5.04 million tons on domestic routes, up 16.8 percent, and 2.49 million tons on international routes, up 23.6 percent, the administration said.

 

Airports nationwide recorded 3.48 million aircraft take-offs and landings, up 14.1 percent. The total included 3.2 million for domestic routes, up 14.4 percent, and 272,000 for international routes, up 9.9 percent.

 

It is predicted that from now on to 2020, China will need to add approximately 1,600 trunk-line jets to its aircraft fleet, which are valued at US$150 to 180 billion.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2007)