BEIJING — China's civil air transport sector created a new record in flight safety by maintaining 10 consecutive years of safe flight operation as of the end of 2020, according to data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The sector achieved 89.43 million safe flight hours and safely carried 4.62 billion passengers as of 2020, data from the CAAC showed.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), the country's civil air transport sector realized 52.7 million flight hours, a 51.2-percent increase from the total volume in the previous five years.

China's civil aviation authorities stressed zero tolerance to safety risks, the CAAC said.

The civil aviation authorities will endeavor to maintain the safe flight of the air transport sector in 2021 by eradicating major accidents and preventing safety risks both on the ground and in the air.

In 2021, the CAAC will coordinate the pandemic prevention and safe growth of the civil aviation industry by promoting smart aviation and enhancing safe flight performance.

China positioned the civil aviation industry as an important strategic industry for the country's socio-economic development and injected big to enhance the infrastructure and safety management in the sector.

The improvement of airports and other infrastructure has greatly sustained the country's progress in key areas of the sector, such as transport capacity and safety performance.

China's civil aviation sector has remained the world's second-largest in terms of passenger trips for 15 years, according to the CAAC.