China Civil Aviation Sets New Record with 61M Passengers in April

China’s civil aviation sector carried over 61.199 million passengers in April 2026, setting a new monthly record and signaling the continued recovery of air travel demand, according to data released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The figure represents a 0.4% increase year-over-year, with international routes leading the growth.

Strong International Growth Offsets Domestic Softness

The CAAC reported that international route passenger volume reached 6.788 million in April, surging 5.8% compared to the same month in 2025, as reported by CCTV News. This robust growth reflects the ongoing recovery of cross-border travel, driven by visa policy relaxations, increased flight frequencies, and rising business and tourism demand.

Domestic routes, however, saw a slight decline of 0.2% year-over-year, carrying 54.411 million passengers. The marginal dip may reflect seasonal factors, growing competition from high-speed rail, or the impact of a sixfold increase in domestic airline fuel surcharges that took effect on April 5, 2026.

Cargo Sector Shows Strong Momentum

China’s air cargo sector posted impressive gains in April. Total air cargo volume reached 854,000 tons, up 6.9% year-over-year. International cargo was the standout performer, growing 12.9% to 398,000 tons, while domestic cargo rose a more modest 2.1% to 456,000 tons, according to the CAAC data.

The strong international cargo growth underscores China’s continued role as a global manufacturing and trade hub, with e-commerce demand driving air freight volumes.

Year-to-Date Performance

From January to April 2026, China’s civil aviation sector accumulated 259.128 million passenger trips, representing a 5% increase year-over-year. The first four months of the year also saw the industry complete total transport turnover of 42.8 billion tonne-kilometers in Q1 alone, with international routes growing 17.5% year-over-year, according to a People’s Daily report.

Broader Transportation Context

The aviation sector’s performance comes amid a broader transportation boom in China. The country’s railway sector carried 1.559 billion passengers in the first four months of 2026, up 6.8% year-over-year, with foreign passenger numbers increasing by an impressive 33.9%, according to China State Railway Group data cited in the research.

However, the sharp increase in fuel surcharges — from 10 yuan to 60 yuan for short-haul flights and from 20 yuan to 120 yuan for longer routes — may pose a headwind for domestic air travel demand in the months ahead.

Analysis and Outlook

The April milestone demonstrates that China’s aviation sector has not only recovered from the pandemic but is reaching new heights. The divergence between strong international growth (+5.8%) and slight domestic contraction (-0.2%) highlights a shifting dynamic in Chinese travel patterns.

International aviation’s share of total transport turnover reached 38.3% in Q1 2026, up 2.1 percentage points from the same period in 2025, signaling that cross-border travel is normalizing after years of pandemic-related restrictions.

Looking ahead, key questions remain: Will the fuel surcharge increase dampen domestic demand in the coming months? Can international route growth continue to accelerate as more countries ease travel restrictions? And how will China’s major airlines — Air China, China Southern, and China Eastern — translate these passenger numbers into financial performance?

For now, the 61-million-passenger milestone stands as a clear indicator that China’s aviation sector is flying higher than ever before.