Domestic passenger transport increase in February

China airline passengers

China’s top three passenger airlines have reported rises of passenger transport volume in February.

The February passenger transportation volume of China Southern Airlines, Air China and China Eastern Airlinessaw a year-on-year rise of 3.3%, 6.2% and 3%, respectively.

Trading Markets reports that while domestic transport volume of the three airlines all registered a growth in February as China’s domestic aviation market started to warm up, their passenger transportation on international routes all incurred a drop of over 20% in the month.

Liu Shurong, an analyst with Shenyin & Wanguo Securities pointed out that China’s aviation industry has a possibility to gain much needed profits in 2009 along with the reduction of fuel cost, financial expenditure and taxes.

But it would help if passenger numbers on international routes started to go back to their former level.