The new civil aviation season is approaching, and with rising fuel costs expected, May 1st flight bookings are warming up earlier.

Financial Association March 28 Report (Reporters Hu Haoqiong, Chen Kang) The civil aviation summer and autumn flight season in 2026 will commence on March 29 and run until October 24, covering multiple peak travel periods such as May Day, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day.

Industry insiders stated that the most notable feature of this year’s new flight season is the increased capacity for business express routes and popular travel destinations, while rising fuel prices have led to an earlier surge in May Day ticket bookings.

According to data from Flight Butler, the average weekly flight frequency across the entire civil aviation industry in the summer season of 2026 is expected to reach 127,000 flights, a decrease of 1.63% compared to the summer season of 2025, with domestic flights down 2.71% and international flights up 3.34%.

Financial Association reporters learned that recently, several airlines and airports have successively announced their flight operation plans for the new summer and autumn season of 2026.

On the airline side, China Eastern Airlines (600115.SH) plans to deploy 823 passenger aircraft (including 14 domestically produced C919 aircraft) during this season, operating over 950 passenger routes; the daily average flights exceed 3,200, an increase of 1.3% year-on-year. The airline plans to open 30 new international regional routes and 41 domestic routes. Internationally, European routes will have over 160 departures weekly, a 24% increase year-on-year; Southeast Asian routes will have over 500 weekly departures, a 13% increase.

Spring Airlines (603885.SH) will operate nearly 150 routes after the seasonal change, covering 15 countries and regions, with nearly 100 cities served. To meet the continued growth in outbound travel demand, the Shanghai to Helsinki and Shanghai to Athens routes plan to add one flight each per week, further expanding capacity in the European market. To address peak travel during summer vacation and school opening, the Shanghai to Manchester route will increase by 2 flights per week during two periods: from July 18 to August 31 and from September 12 to September 30.

Financial Association reporters also learned from Hainan Airlines Holding (600221.SH) that, according to current plans, Hainan Airlines will add four new routes in the Northeast region: Harbin-Nanjing-Shenzhen, Harbin-Shenzhen, Harbin-Guangzhou, and Harbin-Zhengzhou-Guizhou; and two new routes in Anhui: Hefei-Dalian and Hefei-Zhuhai.

Regarding airports, Shanghai Airport (600009.SH) plans to operate an average of 2,516 flights daily in the new season, a 2.8% increase year-on-year; domestic flights will be increased to Changchun, Kunming, Dali, and 34 other destinations, while new international routes will open to Kolkata, India, and Tbilisi, Georgia, with increased flights to popular destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Istanbul.

Hainan Airport Group’s three major airports on the island plan to operate 294 routes, serving over 150 destinations, with 22 new domestic and 19 new international destinations added year-on-year, covering major Chinese cities and popular tourist spots. Haikou Meilan Airport’s seasonal flights are expected to total 117,400, with 171 routes and 128 destinations, including new domestic destinations such as Bozhou, Jiaxing, Kaili, and Yan’an; Sanya Phoenix Airport aims to complete 83,400 flights, with 111 routes and 94 destinations, including new domestic airports such as Anshun, Huangshan, Xingtai, and Yulin.

Zhao Nan, General Manager of the Industry Development Department at Travel Service, stated that the most prominent feature of this year’s new flight season is the further expansion of capacity for business express routes and popular travel destinations, with significant increases in flights to key cultural and tourism regions such as Xinjiang, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Inner Mongolia.

Data from Travel Service shows that from April 1 to June 30, planned flights for round trips to cities such as Altay, Hami, Beihai, Yili, Wuyishan, Xilin Gol, and Dali have increased by approximately 20% compared to last year; international routes have also been further densified, with more flights to major European cities and Southeast Asian destinations like Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. The expansion of overseas destinations continues, further enlarging the international flight network. However, due to the international situation and foreign fuel supply issues, the actual operation of these routes may face uncontrollable risks.

Notably, as of 6 a.m. Beijing time today, Brent crude oil prices stood at $106.29 per barrel, remaining at a high level. Industry insiders told Financial Association reporters that April 5 is the window for adjusting aviation fuel surcharges, and market expectations are for an increase.

According to data from Qunar Travel, ticket bookings for May Day travel have already increased by nearly 20% year-on-year. In previous years, May Day tickets were typically booked two weeks in advance, but this year, due to expectations of rising fuel surcharges, early bookings have surged significantly. It is expected that next week, bookings for May Day and summer flights will continue to grow.