IBA forecasts 10% increase in Chinese New Year airline seats from 2020

The total number of scheduled airline seats to China during the seven-day period leading up to and following Chinese New Year (22nd January - 5th February 2025) is forecast to increase by 2% compared to 2024, and by a notable 10% from 2020 levels, according to data from IBA, the leading aviation market intelligence and advisory company.

Airline capacity as expressed in Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) is projected to rise by 5% year-on-year, increasing from 59.8 million in 2024 to 62.8 million in 2025. This marks a 7% growth from 2020 levels, highlighting the ongoing recovery and expansion of China’s aviation market.

The international capacity of China’s airlines continues to recover, with international seats accounting for 17% of total scheduled capacity over the New Year. This represents an improvement from 14% in 2024 but remains below the 23% share observed in 2020.

China’s ‘Big Three’ airlines, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, are set to collectively service 15.7 million seats, commanding a significant 40% share of the market during this period.

This data was forecast using IBA Insight, the leading platform for aviation data and intelligence, bringing together IBA’s vast fleet, flight, values, trends, and liquidity data into one cutting-edge, easy-to-use platform.