"The demand is great," said Liu Feng, director of the Department of Transport from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, adding that growth has remained steady.
Tickets to big cities where many migrant workers are gathered and tourism destinations in China's northernmost and southernmost regions will be sought after due to the high seasonal demand, Liu said.
The 40-day travel rush will begin on Feb 1 and end on March 12.
The peak will come toward the end of the period when three population streams coincide with possible weather extremes, he said.
The three population streams are migrant workers returning to work from their homes, students going back to school and politicians heading to Beijing ahead of the annual national political sessions － the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Airlines are required to adjust flight schedules based on market needs and optimise schedules and flight modes, to cater to travellers' requirements, he said, adding that backup plans are also required to prevent long delays in the event of mechanical problems.
"Airlines are encouraged to change to wide-body airplanes on popular routes," said Tian Zhencai, deputy director of the administration's operations and monitoring centre.
Plan adjustments will be made when extreme weather occurs and the civil aviation department will coordinate with military aviation to open temporary air routes to increase air space for civil aviation, Tian said.
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