CAAC releases 2008 figures on airport productivity

The Civil Aviation Administration of China released the 2008 figures on airport productivity. All airports combined handled more than 4 billion passengers and saw a growth of 4.7 percent over the year before. The growth stemmed from domestic flights, which carried a 5.3 percent increase in passengers from 2007, whereas international flights saw a 4.4 percent passenger decrease.
The total volume of domestic freight transported stood at 8.83 million tons, sporting a growth of 2.6 percent over 2007. Overseas cargo was at 3.2 million tons, growing over the previous year. The number of take-offs and landings jumped up 7.2 percent over 2007 to 4.2 million, led by an 8 percent surge in domestic flights and a smaller increase in international flights at 2 percent. In 2008, altogether, there are 158 domestic airports, excluding the one in Hong Kong and Macau,that are operating and serving 150 cities on a regular basis.