BEIJING, July 12 -- China's civil aviation transport maintained its recovery momentum in the first half of the year, basically returning to the level seen in 2019 before the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

In the first six months of the year, the sector's total transport turnover was 53.13 billion tonne-kilometers, recovering to 84.6 percent of the level recorded in the same period of 2019, the CAAC said during a teleconference.

About 284 million air passenger trips were handled during the period, 88.2 percent of the level recorded in the first half of 2019.

The cargo and mail volume over the first six months in China's civil aviation sector totaled nearly 3.28 million tonnes, recovering to 93.1 percent of the figure recorded in the same period of 2019, the administration said.

In the second half of this year, the recovery of civil aviation will enter a crucial period for quality improvement, said Song Zhiyong, head of the CAAC, urging efforts to coordinate development and safety in an improved manner, and to promote the resumption of international flights.