Air Transportation of Freight in China: Market Size, Businesses & Forecast 2026

The air transportation of freight industry in China comprises the scheduled and non-scheduled transport of cargo, mail, and express parcels via domestic and international aviation networks. Driven by booming cross-border e-commerce, high-value electronics, and cold-chain demand, the sector is experiencing significant international route and infrastructure expansion. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), national civil aviation cargo and mail transport volume reached a record high of 10.172 million tonnes in 2025, up 13.3% year-on-year. Looking forward into 2026, the industry continues to maintain positive momentum with the CAAC projecting total cargo and mail volume

Industry snapshot

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What does the Air Transportation of Freight in China industry cover?

The industry encompasses the commercial air transport of goods, letters, parcels, and express mail handled by dedicated cargo aircraft or as belly-hold cargo on passenger airlines. The scope covers domestic routes within mainland China, regional routes connecting Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and international routes linking China with global markets. It excludes non-commercial operations, military transport, and general aviation activities unrelated to commercial logistics.

• •Covers both scheduled all-cargo air services and supplemental belly-freight transportation on commercial passenger flights.
• •Categorized under the official Chinese economic activity classification code for air freight logistics.
• •Includes ground handling operations directly linked to the loading, sorting, and unloading of air freight at specialized terminal facilities.

Who operates in the industry and how is it structured?

The sector is led by three state-controlled airline conglomerates alongside rapidly growing private express-carrier fleets and dedicated logistics joint ventures. State-owned entities utilize extensive mixed fleets to optimize belly-hold capacity, while specialized private express operators invest heavily in independent cargo fleets to support time-sensitive e-commerce networks. Regional concentration is strong around major airport clusters in East China, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta.

• •Operating landscape featured a total of 65 commercial airlines and 4,574 commercial aircraft active across China by the end of 2025.
• •China's registered dedicated cargo fleet expanded to 272 aircraft by the end of 2025, which included 60 long-haul wide-body freighters.
• •Airport cargo throughput reached 21.864 million tonnes across mainland transport airports in 2025, showing a 9.0% increase from the previous year.

What drives demand in the industry?

The massive scale of China's domestic and international cross-border e-commerce markets acts as the primary catalyst for rapid air freight growth. High-tech manufacturing sectors, including 3C electronics (computers, communications, consumer electronics), automotive components, and medical equipment, heavily rely on the speed of air logistics. Additionally, the development of specialized temperature-controlled cold chains drives growing volumes of agricultural products and pharmaceuticals.

• •Cross-border e-commerce platforms and electronics manufacturers supply the core volume for newly introduced international flight paths.
• •Belly-hold capacity demand recovered significantly due to a 5.5% expansion in passenger trips in 2025, yielding 770.15 million total passenger journeys.
• •The expansion of international networks connected Chinese air carriers to 147 cities across 65 countries under 132 signed air service agreements by late 2025.

Who are the notable companies in the industry?

Competition is intense and highly structured, led by the cargo subsidiaries of China's big-three state carriers alongside leading integrated express logistics firms. Private providers have disrupted traditional models by building dedicated hub airports and acquiring wide-body freighter fleets to establish end-to-end global delivery networks. Multinational integrators also maintain strong operations via local hubs to manage outbound intercontinental air freight.

• •China National Aviation Holding Corporation Limited (parent of Air China) remains a dominant player, carrying 1.859 million tons of cargo and mail in 2024.
• •China Southern Airlines Company Limited and China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited form the remainder of the state-backed big-three airline tier.
• •SF Airlines Co., Ltd. (subsidiary of SF Holding) operates China's largest dedicated civil freighter fleet, anchoring its main hub operations at Ezhou Huahu Airport.
• •YTO Cargo Airlines Co., Ltd. and Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) are prominent private and international operators managing extensive networks in Chinese hubs.

What are the recent trends and outlook?

The industry is undergoing structural optimization as international routes overtake domestic flights as the primary engine for cargo growth. The establishment of dedicated air cargo hubs, such as Ezhou Huahu Airport achieving a milestone of over 1 million tonnes of cargo throughput in 2025, highlights a shift toward high-efficiency hub-and-spoke networks. Green logistics, digitalization via real-time tracking, and fleet modernization define the mid-term development goals.

• •A total of 214 new international cargo routes were launched during 2025 alone, greatly increasing non-stop intercontinental carrying capacity.
• •The Civil Aviation Administration of China projects total industry freight volume to expand to 10.7 million tonnes in 2026.
• •Six major mainland transport airports exceeded an annual cargo and mail throughput threshold of 1 million tons each in 2025.

How is the industry regulated?

The sector operates under the strict regulatory oversight of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which manages route allocations, safety standards, and airport construction approvals. Government policies actively support the expansion of international cargo networks and the integration of the air freight industry into global supply chains under strategic economic initiatives. Bilateral airworthiness agreements and strict international safety standards dictate operational compliance for outbound routes.

• •Operators must comply with the Civil Aviation Law of the People's Republic of China and administrative provisions on civil air cargo transportation.
• •By the conclusion of 2025, China maintained established bilateral airworthiness relations with 32 countries or regions to ensure compliance across borders.
• •Environmental compliance mandates are tightening as the CAAC encourages fuel-efficient fleet modernization aligned with national carbon reduction targets.

Government, statistical and trade sources used for this Claight analysis.

• Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Statistical Bulletin of Civil Aviation Industry Development in 2025 ·
• Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) 2025 National Civil Transport Airport Production Statistics Bulletin ·
• China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing Air Cargo Report 2025 ·
• National Bureau of Statistics of China (GB/T 4754-2017 Industrial Classification Standard)