The number of passengers flying on China-based airlines rose 42 per cent year-on-year in August, while cargo and mail traffic grew 18 per cent, according to the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China. Shanghai International Airport Co said that its own passenger traffic for the month rose 32 per cent to 3m, while cargo traffic fell 0.3 per cent to 225,400 tonnes.

China’s domestic aviation industry, which includes carriers, airports and related services, booked first-half 2009 profits of nearly Rmb4.9bn, compared with a loss of more than Rmb20bn in 2008, the regulator said.