China is quickly becoming one of the fastest-growing and largest markets in aviation both domestically and internationally. There are millions of flight into and out of Chinese countries each year, and the market is growing rapidly. This leads people to question which airlines are the largest and the most successful in the Chinese market based on several different airline factors.
Air China
Air China is one of the largest airlines in the country. There are thousands of flights each day into and out of dozens of Chinese countries as well as all over Asia. Additionally, the airline flies into most major airports worldwide. If you can’t get a direct flight on an Air China flight, you’ll have plenty of layover options from which to choose.
China Southern Airlines
According to fleet number, China Southern Airlines is the fifth largest in the world. The airline has approximately 600 aircraft that deliver passengers and cargo all over the world. With the delivery of its 600th aircraft, China Southern Airlines became the biggest airline in all of Asia. The airline has only been in business since 1992, but it’s grown rapidly ever since.
China Eastern Airlines
With a grand total of more than 79.1 million passengers annually, this is the largest Chinese airline in that aspect. It’s also the sixth largest airline in the world in terms of passenger capacity and flight throughout the year. The number goes up significantly each year thanks to added flights, newer aircraft and more scheduled routes.
Hainan Airlines
This is the fourth largest airline in China in terms of the size of the airline’s fleet. What this means is that this particular airline has the fourth largest number of planes. It’s also one of the very few airlines across the globe to make the list of 5-star airlines as issued by Skytrax.
Shenzhen Airlines
When it comes to passengers carried, this airline is the fifth largest in the country. Each year the fleet carries millions of passengers to select locations across the country and the world. While this particular airline is not as big or as diverse as others, as it doesn’t travel to as many locations, it’s still a very large fleet.
(Photo by ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images)
