Rising Tourist Market Cries for Better Performance of China Airlines: Industry Insiders

Travelers across the world know to expect delays from airlines, but in China late flights are particularly common. Passengers are demanding improvements in on-time performance and expecting better service from domestic carriers. Which airlines are meeting customer demands, and which are failing to do so?

China's aviation information provider Travelsky teamed up with English.China.com compiled information for international travelers.The report shows that air travel for the purpose of tourism has been increasing in China and that the demand for several major airports as regional transit hubs is on the rise. In the report, second-tiered Chinese cities such as Urumqi, Xiamen and Qingdao are among the most popular tourist destinations, particularly during the Chinese New Year holiday, as many expats take advantage of their holiday time.

The TravelSky report also suggests that the passengers aren't optimistic about Chinese domestic carriers. "When I travel by plane, I'd choose Air China, because it's never late. But for example others like Shanghai airlines are always late," said one passenger. Another commented, "I don't want to spend a lot of time waiting to take a second plane if I have to transit."

Aviation expert Zhang Jing noted that other factors play into peak flight times. "Most of China's tourist cities are heavily influenced by seasonal factors. Also, the on-time performance of carriers, on-flight service and ground transit also have an impact on passengers. "Using big data analysis,” he continued, “carriers can make estimates about possible delays and make early preparations so as to control the loss of passengers caused by delays."

Apart from flight delays, passengers and industry insiders say on-plane service is another thing that Chinese carriers should pay extra attention to.

Another way for domestic carriers to attract passengers, according to aviation expert Zhang Jing, is by improving off-flight services. Xia Xinghua, the vice director of China's Civil Aviation Administration commented, “You can expand service by providing information about hotels, restaurants, local transit and tourist routes. These services can also be tailored to the needs of passengers from specific countries. We encourage competition among carriers in order for them to improve safety and service standards, and to meet passengers' diverse needs."

Industry insiders say that as the demand for domestic air travel rises, China's airlines still have a lot to do to improve the market.