Civil aviation airports in China handled 284.351 million passengers in 2005, 17.5 percent more than that in 2004, according to statistics of China's General Administration of Civil Aviation.

The report on the operation of Chinese civil aviation airports in 2005 was issued on Monday.

The report notes that 253.795 million passengers traveled on domestic airlines in 2005, up 18.0 percent year on year, including 9.652 million passengers who flew from China's mainland to Hong Kong and Macao, an 11percent increase from a year ago.

More than 6.33 million tons of cargo were sent from Chinese civil aviation airports in 2005, up 14.6 percent year on year.

Domestic airlines carried 4.265 million tons, 14.5 percent up from a year ago, including 403,000 tons sent by airlines from China's mainland to Hong Kong and Macao, up 22.1 percent from 2004.

The international airlines carried 2.066 million tons of cargo, up 14.7 percent year on year.

There were 3.057 million take offs and landings at Chinese airports in 2005, up 14.7 percent from 2004.

Forty-two airports have an annual passenger handling capacity of over one million passengers, accounting for 94.7 percent of the total passenger handling capacity of the country. Seven of the airports have an annual passenger handling capacity of over 10 million person-times, accounting for 52.1 percent of the total.

The passenger handling capacity of airports in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, accounts for 37.3 percent of the total, said the report.

Thirty-nine airports have an annual cargo handling capacity of over ten thousand tons, accounting for 98.5 percent of the total capacity of the China, while the capacity of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou accounts for 56.9 percent.

China's mainland had 135 civil aviation airports in 2005 with 133 cities having regular airline service.

Source: Xinhua