Regulatory status
FAA IASA: Category 1 — meets ICAO standards — as of 18 Apr 2025
Full regulatory status →Quick facts
- Airports
- 265
- Scheduled routes
- 14,134
- Top airlines
- 10
- Outbound countries
- 8+
- Most-competitive route
- CKG → SZX · 12 carriers
Top airports in China
| # | Airport | IATA | Routes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shanghai | PVG | 580 | Departures → |
| 2 | Chengdu | TFU | 506 | Departures → |
| 3 | Guangzhou | CAN | 442 | Departures → |
| 4 | Chongqing | CKG | 438 | Departures → |
| 5 | Xian | XIY | 376 | Departures → |
| 6 | Beijing | PKX | 354 | Departures → |
| 7 | Kunming | KMG | 353 | Departures → |
| 8 | Shenzhen | SZX | 348 | Departures → |
| 9 | Hangzhou | HGH | 320 | Departures → |
| 10 | Beijing | PEK | 319 | Departures → |
Top airlines based in China
| # | Airline | IATA | Routes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China Eastern Airlines | MU | 1,583 | Network → |
| 2 | China Southern Airlines | CZ | 1,255 | Network → |
| 3 | Air China | CA | 1,072 | Network → |
| 4 | Sichuan Airlines | 3U | 703 | Network → |
| 5 | Hainan Airlines | HU | 615 | Network → |
| 6 | Gestair | G5 | 595 | Network → |
| 7 | Xiamen Airlines | MF | 545 | Network → |
| 8 | Spring Airlines | 9C | 530 | Network → |
| 9 | Tianjin Airlines | GS | 524 | Network → |
| 10 | Shenzhen Airlines | ZH | 478 | Network → |
Most-competitive routes from China
Most-served international destinations
- Bangkok (BKK) · Thailand — 27 carriers
- Seoul (ICN) · Republic of Korea — 20 carriers
- Hong Kong (HKG) · Hong Kong SAR — 20 carriers
- Kuala Lumpur (KUL) · Malaysia — 20 carriers
- Singapore (SIN) · Singapore — 18 carriers
- Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) · Viet Nam — 17 carriers
- Osaka (KIX) · Japan — 17 carriers
- Hanoi (HAN) · Viet Nam — 15 carriers
Aviation accidents in China
- 2026-08-02 — BOEING 747 (Silk Way West Airlines)
- 2026-01-02 — 运动类飞机 sport aircraft (浙江星空翔业通用航空) — 1 fatal
- 2025-12-03 — BOEING 767 232
- 2025-10-20 — Boeing 747-400 (ACT Airlines) — 2 fatal
- 2025-10-20 — Emirates SkyCargo Flight 9788 — 2 fatal
- 2025-09-11 — 直升机 helicopter (湖北宇航公务航空) — 2 fatal
- 2025-09-05 — 通用航空器 general aviation aircraft (新疆亚心通用航空) — 3 fatal
- 2025-07-14 — BOEING 737 800 (Myanmar National Airlines)
- 2025-06-20 — 通用航空器 general aviation aircraft (海南亚太通用航空) — 3 fatal
- 2025-06-20 — BEECH C90
- 2025-05-26 — BOEING 777 200 (United Airlines)
- 2025-05-02 — 直升机 helicopter (苏州诚翼通用航空) — 1 fatal
- 2023-08-07 — BOEING 747-481F (KALITTA AIR LLC)
- 2023-07-22 — Shijiazhuang Yunsunji Y-5 (Heilongjiang Kunpeng General Aviation Company) — 2 fatal
- 2023-05-02 — ROBINSON R-44 II — 3 fatal
- 2023-02-17 — ROBINSON 44 — 1 fatal
- 2022-08-07 — ROBINSON R44 — 1 fatal
- 2022-05-12 — Airbus A319 (Tibet Airlines)
- 2022-05-12 — Tibet Airlines Flight 9833
- 2022-03-21 — Boeing 737-800 (东方航空云南 China Eastern Yunnan) — 132 fatal
Where China flies to
- Republic of Korea — 174 routes to 6 airports
- Thailand — 108 routes to 5 airports
- Malaysia — 98 routes to 6 airports
- Hong Kong SAR — 92 routes to 1 airport
- Japan — 87 routes to 8 airports
- Russia — 80 routes to 14 airports
- Viet Nam — 72 routes to 5 airports
- Taiwan — 69 routes to 4 airports
Frequently asked questions
How many airports are in China?
China has 265 airports in our dataset.
How many non-stop routes originate in China?
China has 14134 routes departing from its airports in our weekly dataset.
Which airlines operate most routes from China?
Top operators by route count: China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Air China, Sichuan Airlines, Hainan Airlines.
Which is the busiest airport in China?
By scheduled-route count, Shanghai (PVG) is the busiest airport in China with 580 routes departing.
What is the most-connected international destination from China?
Bangkok (BKK), Thailand sees the most competition with 27 carriers serving it from China.
Which countries do China-based airlines fly to most?
Top outbound countries: Republic of Korea (174 routes), Thailand (108 routes), Malaysia (98 routes), Hong Kong SAR (92 routes), Japan (87 routes).