BUSINESS

Rising Airfares Push Chinese Travelers From Planes to Trains During May Day Holiday

Published: May. 6, 2026 9:20 p.m. GMT+8

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Passengers board trains at Chengdu East Railway Station on May 4, 2026. Photo: VCG

China’s civil aviation passenger volume unexpectedly dropped during the May Day holiday for the first time since the pandemic, as soaring fuel costs and changing vacation schedules dampened flight demand.

While air travel fell 5.7% year-on-year to 10.54 million passengers between May 1 and May 5, railway journeys grew 4.6% to 1.06 billion, pushing total cross-regional movement up 3.5% to 1.52 billion trips, according to the Ministry of Transport.

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China's air passengers dropped 5.7% YoY to 10.54M during May 1-5 May Day holiday.
Railway journeys rose 4.6% to 1.06B, total trips up 3.5% to 1.52B.
Factors: fuel surcharges up 500%, domestic fares +12% to 960 yuan ($133), shifting schedules; South Korea flights +9.4%, Japan -56.7%.

AI generated, for reference only

Who’s Who

VariFlight: VariFlight, an aviation data provider, reported that domestic flights fell 3% and international flights fell 2% during China's May Day holiday (May 1-5).

Qunar: Qunar, an online travel agency, reported that several provinces combined the May Day holiday with local spring breaks, prompting tourists to stagger departures and returns, diluting peak air travel demand.

Flight Master: Flight Master is an aviation data provider cited alongside Qunar, noting that shifting holiday schedules in several provinces diluted peak flight demand during China's May Day holiday.

China State Railway Group: The China State Railway Group reported that during the May Day holiday (May 1-5), ticket demand on popular routes far exceeded supply, with purchase requests for some peak-hour trains reaching five times the available capacity. Overall, railway journeys grew 4.6% year-on-year to 1.06 billion.

AI generated, for reference only