China’s international flights to reach new heights, led by domestic carriers

International flights to and from China are expected to grow by nearly 31 per cent year on year between late October and March, with Asian destinations and Chinese carriers leading the way, industry data shows.

One Canadian airline also expanded so abruptly that it caught the attention of the foreign ministry in Beijing.

One-way flights to and from China are anticipated to soar by nearly 40,000 to 168,871 from late October to March compared to a year earlier, according to data compiled by British aviation analytics firm OAG.

The number of seats offered could also rise by 29 per cent to 35.2 million, the OAG data shows.

“Generally tourism is the most important factor,” said Li Hanming, the founder of a US-based aviation consultancy.

“It is winter now, so people living in northern China are flying south.”