Infrastructure - Transportation

Air Transport: Freight

Notes: In freight table Europe (14) includes: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark. In passengers carried table Europe (14) includes: United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Finland, Denmark. In aircraft departures table Europe (14) includes: United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Greece. China (Total) includes Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Source: Source: World Bank (2005): World Development Indicators, 2005

Air freight transportation in China has increased significantly since 1976, but it is still less than one third of the traffic in the United States of America and the 14 European countries with the highest traffic.

In relation to the population air freight traffic in China is still a small fraction of what is typical for the United States or Europe. In 2003, air freight was about 10 tons per person per km; in Europe it was some 85 tons, and in the USA the air freight transportation was almost 120 tons per person per km. Clearly, China's air freight infrastructure has a long way to go, before it can compete with Europe or the United States of America.