The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has adjusted domestic flight schedules for its three biggest airports as the country’s air traffic nears complete recovery.

The new policy will allow airlines 28 weekly flights through Beijing (PEK) and 14 weekly flights through Shanghai (SHA) and Guangzhou (CAN) airports for the upcoming winter and spring seasons, the CAAC stated on September 15, 2020. 

The adjustments will allow airlines to manage flights on their own accord as long as they conform to the Chinese government’s safety measures. CAAC believes these changes will help soften the blow inflicted on the country’s airlines, while also allowing them to explore potential markets and promote recovery of smaller domestic airports.

China has witnessed an unprecedented recovery of its domestic air travel market of approximately 80% compared to 2019, as reported in the CAAC statement. In contrast, EUROCONTROL, a European aviation organization, said that China’s domestic passenger numbers were a mere 13% below its pre-COVID-19 levels on August 25, 2020.

Read more: China’s domestic flights nearly recovered

Meanwhile, China’s air cargo market recovered to 86.7%, while all-cargo aircraft employment continued to maintain a rapid year-on-year growth with an increase of 20.1% in the month of September compared to the same time last year.