BEIJING — China will further promote the recovery of the civil aviation industry in 2021 with comprehensive measures, according to civil aviation authorities.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) proposed the target of promoting the industry to further recover from the impact of COVID-19 and boost more balanced and coordinated development in the sector.

The CAAC will endeavor to sustain the industry to realize 590 million air passenger trips in 2021, 90 percent of the level seen before the outbreak of COVID-19, and an air freight volume of 7.53 million tonnes in 2021, nearly at the pre-COVID-19 level.

Based on the strategy of expanding domestic demand, the CAAC will make moves to explore market potential and stimulate market vitality, according to the CAAC.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the global economy hard in 2020. Thanks to effective control measures, China's economy has rebounded and domestic air travel was quickly re-established.