The volume of China's air cargo has reached a historic peak, fueled by robust growth in international air freight, according to China's Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

State media, Xinhua, reported that between January and October of this year, the country's aviation sector handled nearly 7.3 million tonnes of cargo and mail, marking a 19.3% increase compared to the same period in 2019.

Notably, international routes carried about 2.93 million tonnes of cargo and mail, up by a significant 48.5% from the same period in 2019.

Over the past week, for instance, the average daily cargo flights reached 752, including 498 international flights, reflecting year-on-year growth of 70.9% and 100.4%, respectively.

"The surge in air cargo comes in the backdrop of China's industrial transformation, deeper Belt and Road cooperation, and the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce," said Shang Kejia, a CAAC official, according to the report.

Looking ahead, Shang said the CAAC will continue to focus on enhancing the allocation of air traffic rights, refining route and flight management policies, and advancing cost reduction and efficiency improvements in air logistics.