China to gain 5,357 civil aircraft by 2032: COMAC

BEIJING - China is expected to gain 5,357 civil aircraft of over 50 seats by 2032, according to a report released by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in Beijing Wednesday.

The newly increased fleet is valued at around 647 billion U.S dollars, or about four trillion yuan based on 2013 list prices, according to COMAC's fourth annual forecast report on China's civil aircraft market.

COMAC, the manufacturers of the C919, China's first homegrown large passenger aircraft, released the report at the ongoing air show in Beijing, which lasts from September 25 to 28.

To meet booming civil aviation demand, China's civil aviation fleet size is expected to reach 6,494 by 2032, said the report.

China is embracing an era of mass aviation with accelerating air transport growth, thanks to the country's efforts and investment in aviation infrastructure construction.

In the 2001-2012 period, the country saw passenger traffic volume grow 3.6 times, higher than that of railway and highway traffic volume.

In 2012, China's civil aviation handled about 319 million trips, a 9.2 percent year-on-year increase.

By 2032, the volume of passenger traffic is expected to account for 16 percent of the world's total, approaching the scale of the North America region, said the report.