A flight attendant of China Eastern Airlines works in the cabin of a C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first homegrown large jetliner, during a validation flight from Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai to Capital International Airport in China's capital Beijing, Jan. 9, 2023. The world's first C919 aircraft began its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process on Dec. 26, 2022 after it was delivered to China Eastern Airlines on Dec. 9, 2022.(Photo: Xinhua)

China has maintained a fast recovery of international flights, as resumed weekly fixed passenger flights have increased by more than 60 percent over the week before downgrading management of COVID-19 on January 8.

The number of fixed international passenger flights stood at 795 across 98 carriers from home and abroad last week from February 6 to 12, covering 58 countries and regions, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said on Thursday.

The number of flights is up 65 percent over the week from January 2 to 8, the week before China downgraded COVID-19 management on January 8.

The number of flights between China and six countries in the Asia-Pacific region including Thailand, Cambodia, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam increased by 226, exceeding 70 percent of the total number of additional flights.

Overall passenger flight volume of international flights recovered to 9 percent of the pre-epidemic levels, with Chinese airlines accounting for 62 percent, the CAAC said.

More than 20 percent of flights between China and 27 countries including the United Arab Emirates, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Kazakhstan have already resumed service. Among these, six countries including Egypt, Belgium, and Saudi Arabia have resumed more than 50 percent of previous flights.

Shang Kejia, an official from the CAAC said the international flights will see further growth with the gradual recovery of international business personnel exchanges and tourism.

The CAAC resumed flights application for domestic and foreign airlines starting from January 8.

Global Times