China’s high‑speed rail reshapes domestic airline market
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High‑speed trains are increasingly competing with airlines in China on price and total door‑to‑door travel time, with a clear time advantage for trips up to 500 km and continued competition between 500 and 1,000 km, while planes remain faster beyond 1,000 km.
China’s high‑speed rail network reached over 50,000 km by the end of 2025 and the country plans to extend it to 70,000 km within the next 20 years; meanwhile, domestic airline seat capacity grew 65 % over the past decade, but fell 7 % on routes under 800 km and rose 91 % on routes over 800 km, with the share of domestic routes under 800 km dropping from 26 % in August 2016 to 15 % in August 2026.