Guangzhou (JLC), February 3, 2026--China is expected to see a record high of 9.5 billion cross-regional trips during the 40-day 2026 Spring Festival Travel Rush during February 2-March 13, cnr.cn reported on January 31, 2026.
Self-driving trips will remain the dominant mode of travel, accounting for about 80% of the total. Railway and civil aviation passenger trips are expected to reach 540 million and 95 million, respectively, with the overall scale and peak single-day passenger flow both expected to exceed historical highs for the same period, the report added, citing the National Development and Reform Commission.
According to China Railway's latest data, it's estimated that 12 million passengers were transported on the first day of the travel rush (February 2). During the entire 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, an average of 13.48 million trips are expected daily, a 5% increase year-on-year, cctv.cn noted on February 2, 2026.
All civil airlines were expected to operate 19,080 flights and transport 2.19 million passengers on the same day of February 2, and during the travel rush, it's estimated that the civil aviation sector will transport an average of 2.38 million passengers daily and operate 19,400 flights per day, CAACNEWS said on February 2, 2026, citing the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
The Spring Festival Travel Rush, or Chunyun, the world's largest annual human migration known for its high transportation demand as millions return home for family reunions, usually begins 15 days ahead of the Chinese New Year and 25 days after, lasting for 40 days.
In addition to the 40-day Chunyun, this year's Chinese New Year holiday features an ultra long 9-day break (from February 15 to February 23).
