Beijing predicts mainland carriers will see 10 per cent growth in passenger traffic and a rebound in the air cargo market in 2012 after the European debt crisis took its toll this year.
Mainland airlines and airports also would end this year with record high earnings, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said on its official website yesterday.
The regulator forecast the industry will end up 45.6 billion yuan (HK$55.7 billion) in profit in 2011, compared with 45 billion yuan last year, which may make China the most profitable aviation country for the second consecutive year.
While international carriers remain concerned about the prospects for the air cargo business, Chinese carriers seem more bullish.
They forecast their cargo traffic will increase 4.7 per cent in 2012, after a drop of 2 per cent this year. Mainland passenger traffic will also resume double digit growth of 10.3 per cent next year from an 8.2 per cent rise in the past 12 months.
Investment in fixed assets will top 158.5 billion yuan next year, while infrastructure projects will account for 75 billion yuan.