Sales in China's civil aviation industry jumped 10.9 percent year-on-year to 21.08 billion yuan (US$2.8 billion) in May, according to the General Administration of Civil Aviation (CAAC).

Costs in the industry rose 2.6 percent to 19.94 billion yuan (US$2.6 billion) compared with the same month last year, the CAAC said on Monday

Domestic air carriers including Air China, China Southern Airlines, and China Eastern Airlines all made profits in May, it said, without providing further details.

The airlines carried 15.47 million passengers and 306,000 tons of cargo in May, up 19.4 percent and 16.1 percent respectively from the same month last year, the CAAC announced.

The airlines filled 73.5 percent of their seats, 2.4 percentage points higher than May last year, it said, adding the industry had 1,043 planes at the end of May, nine more than a month ago.

China's aviation industry is expected to carry 185 million passengers and 3.9 million tons of cargo this year, 16 percent and 12 percent up on 2006, the administration forecast in a report released earlier this month.

(Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2007)