International flights to maintain strong recovery in winter, spring

China's international flights are expected to return to 70 percent of the volume in 2019, during the upcoming winter and spring season, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

The new winter and spring season starts on Sunday and ends on March 30. A total of 13,004 international flights involving 65 countries, are planned every week during the upcoming season, Liang Nan, director of the administration's transport department, said at a news conference on Friday.

She said the number of international flights is about 70.7 percent of the volume for the same period in 2019. The international flights will be operated by 116 airline companies.

"The recovery of China's international passenger flights has remained orderly this year. Since late August, the number of international passenger flights has remained at more than 50 percent of the volume before the epidemic," Liang said.

"During the weeklong Golden Week holiday at the beginning of October, the number of international passenger flights reached 56 percent of the number before the pandemic."

From Oct 16 to Oct 22, a total of 7,750 international passenger flights operated, about 51 percent of the volume before the epidemic. Those flights involved 61 countries. Among them, 22 countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy and the United Arab Emirates, have approached or exceeded the pre-epidemic volume of flights.

In addition, two international routes to Kuwait and Serbia were opened.

"The administration will continue to encourage and support Chinese and foreign airlines to resume international passenger flights, improving the international route network and supporting people movements between China and foreign countries to ensure stable foreign trade and investment," Liang said.

She also noted that the civil aviation network between China and countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative will be expanded to benefit international economic and trade cooperation and people exchanges.

China upgraded its epidemic management measures and announced the lifting of travel restrictions last December. Since then, the number of international flights has maintained a steady recovery.