Chinese airlines transported 90.64million passengers in the first three quarters of this year, up 50percent from the same period of last year, according to the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC).

"Passenger transport in the whole year is expected to exceed the benchmark of 100 million," said a CAAC official. "It's a clearindicator that air travel is turning into a means of mass transport."

The official said cargo shipping rose 30 percent in the first nine months.

By the end of 2003, Chinese airlines operated 1,155 scheduled flight routes, including 194 international routes to 72 cities in 32 countries.

Source: Xinhua