China's domestic flight numbers top pre-COVID-19 levels in Sept

The number of domestic Chinese flights in September topped last year’s levels, official data showed on Thursday, with passenger numbers indicating the local aviation sector is nearing a full recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were a total of 371,000 domestic passenger flights in September, up 3.5% from a year ago, Qiao Yibin, an official with the CAAC, told a news conference. Domestic passenger numbers reached 47.75m, or 98% of 2019’s levels, Qiao said. China’s domestic travel a robust rebound over the eight-day Golden Week holiday at the start of October, encouraged by the country’s success in reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and cheap fares offered by hotels, airlines and tourist hotspots.<br/>