Airport, carriers post fast traffic growth rates
(Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)
Updated: 2004-12-17 14:40

China Eastern Airlines Co Ltd and Beijing Capital International Airport Co both reported fast growth rates late Wednesday, as oil prices are retreating from record highs and air travel is becoming popular in the world's most populous economy.

Eastern Airlines, the country's second-largest carriers, posted a 9.47 percent rise in November passenger traffic from the same period last year.

Although the number of passengers fell about 14.5 percent to 1.14 million in November from October, the drop was mainly caused by decreasing travelers after China's weeklong holiday in October, the airline said.

It filled 66.02 percent of seats in November, up 6.45 percent from the same period last year but down 4.58 percent from October.

Earlier this month, its rival China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd. said its passenger number climbed 12.4 percent year on year to 2.42 million in November, but that was down about 9 percent from October.

Also on Wednesday, Beijing Capital International Airport said its passenger traffic jumped 22 percent year on year in November.

Nearly 3.03 million passengers used the airport last month, of which 81.6 percent traveled on domestic routes and 19.4 percent on international routes, the airport said, adding about 4.1 passengers traveled on Hong Kong and Macao routes.

Aircraft takeoffs and landings at the airport grew 14 percent in November from a year earlier, of which 81.8 percent were domestic flights and 18.2 percent were international flights.

The airport and the two airlines have floated their shares in Hong Kong.

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