An Air China plane takes off from Beijing Daxing International Airport. (ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY)

BEIJING – The number of daily flights in China rebounded to 89 percent of 2019 level in the first half of the year, according to the country's aviation regulator.

China's civil aviation sector maintained a safe record during the period with the punctuality rate reaching 91.4 percent, 11 percent higher than the 2019 level, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

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Through route optimization, China's airliners shortened flight distance by 14.06 million km in the first half and saved 76,000 tons of fuel.

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Moving into the second half of the year, China will continue to improve the airspace environment, speed up infrastructure construction and deepen exchanges and cooperation with neighboring countries and regions, said the administration.