(Yicai Global) Jan. 7 -- China's civil aviation sector experienced slower revenue growth last year, 5.4 percent compared with 17 percent the year before, as it wrestled with challenges that included costlier fuel and stiffer competition from high-speed trains.

Total revenue came in at over CNY1 trillion (USD144.1 billion), the second-highest amount earned worldwide, according to a report by the civil aviation regulator's news arm.

Since the start of 2019, China's airlines have been under pressure from higher fuel prices, greater exchange rate volatility, a lower share of business and government passengers as well as competition from the nation's ever-expanding high-speed rail network.

Air passenger traffic jumped 7.9 percent to 660 million last year, down from 10.9 percent in 2018, the report said, while the volume of freight shipped rose 1.9 percent to 7.5 million tons, down from 4.6 percent the prior year.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China told airports to cut the number of flights and ordered airlines to ground the Boeing 737 Max following a spate of lethal accidents, resulting in slower growth to air passenger traffic, the 21st Century Business Herald reported, citing an executive at a Chinese carrier.

The contradiction between growth in the air transport sector and insufficient supporting capacity has always existed, the executive added.

Passenger numbers are expected to gain 7.5 percent and freight 7.6 percent this year to 710 million people and 7.63 million tons, respectively, according to the regulator.

Editor: Kim Taylor