A report released on 15 January by aviation data provider VariFlight shows that Chinese mainland airlines operated 5.37 million flights in 2025, up 2.96 percent year-on-year and surpassing pre-pandemic highs. Total booked seats hit 935.8 million, reflecting sustained demand from both leisure and corporate segments.
The rebound is underpinned by Beijing’s aggressive visa-free policies and a flurry of new international routes launched by carriers such as Air China and China Southern. Analysts say the data confirms that China has transitioned from a volatile post-COVID rebound to a phase of “high-quality normalised expansion,” offering greater schedule reliability for corporate travellers.
From a mobility perspective, record frequencies give multinationals more flexibility when rotating expatriates or scheduling short-notice project visits to tier-two cities. Domestic hubs such as Chengdu, Xi’an and Chongqing benefited disproportionately, bolstering their attractiveness for regional headquarters and shared-service centres.
![China’s Civil Aviation Logs Record 5.37 Million Flights in 2025, Signals New Phase of Normalised Growth]()
For organisations that still need to navigate China’s evolving entry requirements despite the new visa-free measures, VisaHQ can remove much of the administrative friction. The company’s digital platform (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides real-time guidance on business and tourist visas, lets travel managers track application status across teams, and integrates easily with corporate travel policies—helping firms capitalise on the expanded flight network without running afoul of compliance rules.
The sustained recovery should also ease pressure on airfare budgets: capacity growth typically suppresses average ticket prices, while additional belly-hold space supports faster transit of high-value components for just-in-time manufacturing chains. Airlines, for their part, are accelerating fleet renewals—many with domestically produced aircraft—raising questions about cross-type pilot training and maintenance support.
Companies should revisit their preferred-carrier agreements during Q1 contract renewals, as carriers are rolling out corporate-discount programmes tied to higher frequency and new cabin products.
The rebound is underpinned by Beijing’s aggressive visa-free policies and a flurry of new international routes launched by carriers such as Air China and China Southern. Analysts say the data confirms that China has transitioned from a volatile post-COVID rebound to a phase of “high-quality normalised expansion,” offering greater schedule reliability for corporate travellers.
From a mobility perspective, record frequencies give multinationals more flexibility when rotating expatriates or scheduling short-notice project visits to tier-two cities. Domestic hubs such as Chengdu, Xi’an and Chongqing benefited disproportionately, bolstering their attractiveness for regional headquarters and shared-service centres.
For organisations that still need to navigate China’s evolving entry requirements despite the new visa-free measures, VisaHQ can remove much of the administrative friction. The company’s digital platform (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides real-time guidance on business and tourist visas, lets travel managers track application status across teams, and integrates easily with corporate travel policies—helping firms capitalise on the expanded flight network without running afoul of compliance rules.
The sustained recovery should also ease pressure on airfare budgets: capacity growth typically suppresses average ticket prices, while additional belly-hold space supports faster transit of high-value components for just-in-time manufacturing chains. Airlines, for their part, are accelerating fleet renewals—many with domestically produced aircraft—raising questions about cross-type pilot training and maintenance support.
Companies should revisit their preferred-carrier agreements during Q1 contract renewals, as carriers are rolling out corporate-discount programmes tied to higher frequency and new cabin products.
