About 2.3 million passengers are expected to travel by Chinese airlines during the upcoming seven-day May Day holidays, according to the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China.

Compared with the same period last year, when SARS prevented many Chinese people from traveling around, this number is expected to grow 17.8 percent, with about 330,000 people traveling by air per day.

Nine airline companies have been authorized to add a total of 2,550 temporary flights for the upcoming travel peak. Those temporary flights will mainly travel between large and tourism cities.

(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2004)