Chinese New Year Travelers Take to the Skies

It’s been called the biggest human migration but for most Chinese it just means going home to see friends and family. During the Chinese New Year starting Friday, well over 3 billion trips will be taken and an increasing number of them will be on airplanes. The number of Chinese air passengers during New Year has nearly doubled since 2014 and is expected to reach 79 million in 2020. This comes as no surprise in a nation that is tipped to be the world’s largest air passenger market by 2040.

Because of the major coronavirus going on in Wuhan right now, the city has been shut off from all transport. Especially at this time of year, this means major restrictions for residents.

Compared to the previous year, New Year air travel numbers have risen by 8 percent. During the holiday, trains in China are expected to also transport 8 percent more passengers compared to 2019, gaining competitiveness due to recent upgrades in high-speed connections.