BEIJING — Chinese airlines saw passenger growth accelerate in March as the country's civil aviation sector continued to expand, official data showed Wednesday.

Air passenger trips rose 13.8 percent year-on-year in March, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said in an online statement.

The growth was faster than the 9.8 percent increase registered in February and 11.8 percent for the whole year of 2016, when annual air passenger trips reached 487.8 million.

In March, total turnover of the civil aviation sector expanded 13.3 percent year-on-year, accelerating from the 11.5 percent increase in February, though air cargo and mail freight posted slower growth.

China ranks second in the world in terms of air passenger and cargo, behind the United States.

The country aims to build 136 new civil airports by 2025, according to a government plan released last month. It had 207 civil airports as of the end of 2015.