Chinese airlines are expected to handle more than 90 million passenger trips during the upcoming Spring Festival travel rush in China, a figure that is likely to hit a record high, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
This annual travel rush, also known as "Chunyun," is usually a period of high transportation demand as people return to their hometowns for family reunions. The 2025 Chunyun will last from Jan 14 to Feb 22.
In the 40-day period, the average daily number of flights across China will reach 18,500, an increase of 8.4 percent year on year.
The scheduled flights at the Capital Airport and the Daxing Airport in Beijing will rise by over 5 percent during the travel rush.
Other popular destinations that will see the highest surges in travelers include ice and snow tourist attractions in the north, such as Harbin, Changchun and Urumqi, and winter escape spots in the south, such as Haikou and Sanya cities in Hainan Province.
"We encourage airlines to switch to larger aircraft on popular routes. We have rolled out an overtime policy in advance, supporting airlines to flexibly allocate capacity and deploy personnel to work overtime during Chunyun and in the week before and after. We support airlines to provide charter services for migrant workers and students, improve transit services between trunk and feeder routes and offer better transit options," said Xu Qing, director of the Transportation Department of the CAAC.
Owing to the constant expansion of China's visa-free policy, international passenger trips from and to the country will also peak in the period.
For Chinese travelers, the most popular destinations will be Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and other close countries.
The Spring Festival, the most important traditional festival in China, will fall on Jan 29 in 2025.
Chinese airlines to handle over 90 mln trips during Spring Festival travel rush
Switzerland, known for its pristine lakes and rich tradition of fishing, is facing a significant challenge of plunging fish stocks that could threaten the livelihood of many in the fisheries industry.
In recent years, local fishermen have seen their catches decline drastically, with about 90 percent of the fish consumed in the country now being imported. This shift reflects broader environmental changes impacting Swiss fisheries, and the difficulties local fishermen are enduring are becoming more evident each year.
At seven in the morning, as the first light of dawn begins to break, a handful of fishermen at a dock in Geneva prepare to head out to the lake to check the nets they set the previous day. As the long nets were hauled from the water, the catch of perch was relatively small, but the fishermen were still satisfied, especially since they managed to net two large pike, which would fetch a good price.
Francois Liani, a fisherman of 30 years, said 2024 has been the worst year for fishing with the lowest amount of catch.
"I have never seen anything like this in over 30 years. That's right, 2024 is the worst year in the past 30 years," he said.
Fifty years ago, there were more than 800 professional fishermen in Switzerland. Today, that number has dropped to fewer than 90.
"There are many reasons, but one of the most important reasons is global warming -- it is one of the biggest problems. We have also new mussels that come from the Black Sea on the Eastern Europe that came about five, seven years ago. They have a large impact on the food availability for the fishes," said Maxime Prevedello, communication officer for the French-speaking region of the Swiss Fishing Federation (SFV).
As a result, the growth rate of fish has slowed significantly. In 2012, 2013, and 2014, a professional fisherman was able to catch around 1,000 tons of fish annually. Today, that number has dropped to just around 100 tons -- a mere one-tenth of what it used to be, according to Prevedello.
In the summer of 2024, Switzerland once again endured high temperatures. Native fish species such as perch, grayling, and the Alpine char, which have adapted to cold water, have been particularly affected. According to Switzerland's environmental authorities, 58 percent of the country's native fish species are now classified as endangered.
Swiss fishermen face growing struggle as local fish stocks plunge
