Aviation industry takes flight

Domestic passenger air traffic soared by 43 percent in August year on year, despite the slump facing the global air transport industry, China's top civil aviation official said.

The growth rate is "surprisingly good", even compared to the fast-growing periods in China's civil aviation history, Li Jiaxiang, director of Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), said at the opening ceremony of the 15th World Route Development Forum on Sunday.

"The aviation industry is always the first to reflect the economy The big growth was achieved thanks to China's economic growth," he said.