Chinese airlines have led the global growth of air travel in 2017 to date, recording¹ an astonishing fourteen percent rise of capacity compared to the same period in 2016.

 

截止目前，2017年中国航空业领先全球航空旅行增长，与2016年同期相比增长达到惊人的14%。

 

That's according to industry publication anna.aero, who report that of the fastest growing fifteen airlines in Asia, eight are Chinese, with the top three being China Southern (who grew their seat capacity by ten percent over the year,) China Eastern (nine percent) and Air China (eight percent).

 

The other Chinese carriers included in the top fifteen were Xiamen Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines and Shandong Airlines.

 

When it came to airports in Asia, again anna.aero discovered that China was leading growth in the region.

 

Eight of the fifteen fastest growing airports were in China. Nevertheless, Jakarta in Indonesia did beat off strong competition from Kunming, Hangzhou and Zhengzhou to be crowned the Asian airport with the largest annual growth in seat capacity when compared to the same period last year.

 

In 2016, we reported that the rapid growth of air travel in China is placing a strain on the ability of airlines to find and train suitably experienced pilots.

 

That's led to claims that experienced Captains and First Officers are leaving US and European airlines in large numbers to live and work in the country.

点击收听单词发音