During a presentation on the sector organized by the Franco-Macao Chamber of Commerce, Eric Chan, IATA's Regional Manager for Hong Kong and Macau, noted significant changes in global aviation. At the beginning of the century, the US accounted for two-thirds (65%) of global domestic traffic, while China's share was only 6%.
Today, the situation is approaching parity: China accounts for 29% of all global domestic traffic (measured by paid passenger kilometers), trailing only the US, which has reduced its share to 37%. Eric Chan emphasized the immense strength of China's domestic market, which is demonstrating impressive growth.
The official pointed out that the concentration of almost a third of global domestic flights in China reflects one of the largest structural transformations in the history of the sector, which occurred in just 25 years. This growth is also evident financially: China is the second-largest aviation market in the world by contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP), generating $253.6 billion (€217.4 billion) through direct, indirect, and related tourism impact.
In the first half of 2026, 380 million individual trips were registered in China, an increase of 1% compared to the same period last year. During the same session, Chan warned that the current conflict in the Middle East and aircraft supply delays could halve the profits of global commercial aviation in 2026.
Chan also noted that the scale of China's domestic market serves as a crucial pillar amid international uncertainty, helping to absorb shocks caused by rising fuel prices and the global shortage of aircraft affecting long-haul routes. Han Jun, Vice Head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, reported that in July, Chinese airlines operated regular international passenger routes to 177 cities in 80 countries across five continents.
In the first half of this year, passenger transport on international air routes operated by Chinese airlines exceeded 40 million, representing an annual growth of 5.7%. In addition to passenger and cargo capacity, IATA views China as a future leader in aviation's ecological transition. In light of global decarbonization goals by 2050, the country is projected to play a central role in the large-scale production and supply of sustainable aviation fuel.
Forecasting the next 25 years—a period during which IATA expects global traffic to more than double, reaching 21 trillion paid passenger kilometers by 2050—the leadership of the Chinese domestic market will be the main driver of the industry. Eric Chan concluded: 'The shift from America to Asia has already happened in 25 years, and forecasts show that the next 25 years will move in the same direction. The center of gravity of this sector is shifting towards the Asia-Pacific region.'