Long airport wait increases: average Chinese flight delay now up to 21 minutes

Chinese travellers are spending more time at airports and on aircraft as flight delays worsen.

The average delay for flights in 2015 was 21 minutes – two minutes longer than in 2014, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said in a report on its website, dated May 30.

Air traffic control issues were the biggest reason for the delays, followed by bad weather, the CAAC said.

Air China, China Eastern Airline and other carriers are expanding their fleets and budget carriers have emerged as economic growth spurs travel demand in China, where the military dominates the country’s air space.

Traffic congestion is set to worsen as the nation’s commercial aircraft fleet is projected to double in the next 20 years and become the world’s biggest travel market.

About 436.2 million people travelled by air last year – 11.3 per cent more than a year earlier, according to the report.