(Yicai) Jan. 4 -- China will increase the number of direct flights between China and the US this year as the number of international travelers is expected to rebound quickly. It will also strive for certification of its self-developed C919 by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to allow the passenger aircraft to fly worldwide, according to the country’s civil aviation regulator.

The number of international flights should return to 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels this year at around 6,000 flights a week, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said at its annual work conference today. And domestic passenger trips should climb 7.7 percent this year from 2019 to 630 million.

Around 690 million passenger trips are expected to be completed in 2024 and seat occupation rates, passenger loads and aircraft daily utilization rates should return to 2019 levels.

This year, the CAAC will extend its air traffic rights arrangements among Belt and Road countries, deepen tie-ups on projects in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa as well as optimize entry and exit procedures and facilitate customs clearance, the regulator said.

It will accelerate the construction of airport hubs in major cities such as Guangzhou, Chongqing, Xi’an and Urumqi as well as feeder airports in more remote places like Ruijin, Qitai and Barkol. It will build at least five freight airports, boost investment in the civil aviation sector and strive to maintain CNY100 billion (USD14 billion) of fixed asset investment in the industry.

The administration will also support courier firms and cross-border e-commerce companies to increase their air cargo capacity, encourage air logistics firms to co-operate more with advanced manufacturing, cross-border e-commerce and cold chain industries, and guide companies to build more air cargo stations abroad.

Editor: Kim Taylor