Chinese air travel 'up 11 per cent by 2014'

Another 800,000 travellers will be flying every year by 2014, taking the total to 3.3 billion, according to the latest estimates from the International Air Transport Association (Iata).

The figures underline the eastward shift of the global airline industry, Giovanni Bisignani, the director general of Iata, said.

The largest proportion of the 6 per cent growth will come from an 11 per cent hike in Chinese air travel, with an extra 181 million domestic and 33 million international flights.

But the US will still be the biggest single market, with 671 million domestic passengers each year, and 205 million people flying internationally. The UK will remain the second-largest international market, with a 33 million increase to 198 million by 2014.