Most Active Airlines in China

Key Takeaways

  • 194 airlines fly scheduled routes from China. Together they operate 14,173 distinct outgoing routes from the country's airports
  • China Eastern runs the widest network. 1,544 outgoing routes from China — about 1.4x the next airline
  • PVG is the busiest hub. Ranked by the number of outgoing routes departing each airport
  • Every airline mapped. Each of the top 12 carriers gets a map of where it flies from China

Which airlines are most active in China? Using live AirportRoutes data, we ranked every airline by the number of distinct outgoing routes it operates from China’s airports — each origin-to-destination pair counted once. Below, every one of the top 12 carriers gets a map of where it flies.

Bar chart of the most active airlines in China by outgoing routes
The 10 most active airlines in China, ranked by distinct outgoing routes. Data: AirportRoutes.

The Full Ranking

Full ranking

Most Active Airlines in China

By distinct outgoing routes operated from the country’s airports.

Airline Routes Destinations Busiest base
1. China Eastern1,544214Main hub: PVG
2. China Southern Airlines1,127201Main hub: CAN
3. Air China862175Main hub: PEK
4. China Express Airlines718152Main hub: CKG
5. Sichuan Airlines671139Main hub: TFU
6. Tianjin Airlines586124Main hub: TSN
7. Hainan Airlines577108Main hub: HAK
8. XiamenAir546101Main hub: XMN
9. Spring Airlines511105Main hub: PVG
10. Chengdu Airlines485103Main hub: TFU
11. Shenzhen Airlines46784Main hub: SZX
12. Shandong Airlines45481Main hub: TAO

"Routes" = distinct origin-destination city pairs departing the country, counted once. Regularly-served routes only. Data: AirportRoutes.

Where the Routes Are: China’s Busiest Airports

Map of the busiest airports in China by number of outgoing routes
China's busiest airports by number of outgoing routes. Data: AirportRoutes · Map: Mappr.

Each Airline — Where It Flies

Pick an airline and toggle Domestic / Continental / Intercontinental to see where each one flies. Click a dot for details.

1. China Eastern

1,544 outgoing routes from 150 airports in China to 214 destinations (140 domestic, 72 international). Busiest bases: PVG, KMG, XIY. Top destinations include Shanghai, Xi’an, Kunming, Shanghai, Wuhan.

2. China Southern Airlines

1,127 outgoing routes from 140 airports in China to 201 destinations (129 domestic, 70 international). Busiest bases: CAN, SZX, PKX. Top destinations include Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Urumqi, Beijing, Zhengzhou.

3. Air China

862 outgoing routes from 120 airports in China to 175 destinations (118 domestic, 56 international). Busiest bases: PEK, TFU, PVG. Top destinations include Beijing, Chengdu, Chengdu, Beijing, Hangzhou.

4. China Express Airlines

718 outgoing routes from 136 airports in China to 152 destinations (149 domestic, 1 international). Busiest bases: CKG, KRL, HET. Top destinations include Chongqing, Hohhot, Korla, Yining, Guiyang.

5. Sichuan Airlines

671 outgoing routes from 106 airports in China to 139 destinations (96 domestic, 43 international). Busiest bases: TFU, CKG, CTU. Top destinations include Chengdu, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi’an, Kunming.

6. Tianjin Airlines

586 outgoing routes from 125 airports in China to 124 destinations (118 domestic, 5 international). Busiest bases: TSN, URC, XIY. Top destinations include Urumqi, Xi’an, Tianjin, Hohhot, Haikou.

7. Hainan Airlines

577 outgoing routes from 79 airports in China to 108 destinations (72 domestic, 35 international). Busiest bases: HAK, PEK, SZX. Top destinations include Beijing, Haikou, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xi’an.

8. XiamenAir

546 outgoing routes from 72 airports in China to 101 destinations (71 domestic, 30 international). Busiest bases: XMN, FOC, HGH. Top destinations include Xiamen, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, Beijing, Changsha.

9. Spring Airlines

511 outgoing routes from 92 airports in China to 105 destinations (85 domestic, 19 international). Busiest bases: PVG, LHW, SJW. Top destinations include Shanghai, Lanzhou, Shijiazhuang, Shanghai, Ningbo.

10. Chengdu Airlines

485 outgoing routes from 104 airports in China to 103 destinations (99 domestic, 3 international). Busiest bases: TFU, CTU, TLQ. Top destinations include Chengdu, Turpan, Chengdu, Kashgar (Kashi), Yining.

11. Shenzhen Airlines

467 outgoing routes from 70 airports in China to 84 destinations (65 domestic, 19 international). Busiest bases: SZX, WUX, CAN. Top destinations include Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Nanjing, Wuxi.

12. Shandong Airlines

454 outgoing routes from 70 airports in China to 81 destinations (68 domestic, 13 international). Busiest bases: TAO, TNA, XMN. Top destinations include Jinan, Qingdao, Xiamen, Beijing, Zhengzhou.

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