BEIJING, Jan. 8 -- China's civil aviation sector is expecting to handle 80 million passenger trips during the upcoming Spring Festival travel rush, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said on Monday.

The figure represents a 44.9 percent increase compared to that registered in the same period of last year and amounts to 9.8 percent growth compared to the level recorded during the Spring Festival travel rush in 2019, according to the administration.

This year's Spring Festival travel rush will last for 40 days, beginning on Jan. 26 and ending on March 5, said Liang Nan, an official with the administration.

The sector will handle an estimated 2 million passenger trips daily on average during the travel rush, and travel volume is expected to peak on Feb. 8, Feb. 16, Feb. 20, and Feb. 25, respectively, said Liang.

Liang added the sector will handle about 16,500 flights per day on average during the travel rush. This number is roughly the same as the level registered in 2019 and represents an increase of 24 percent compared with the 2023 level.