BEIJING, July 3 -- China's flight passenger volume surged 9.8 percent in May from the previous year, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said on Thursday.

In May, 31.3 million passengers travelled by plane, with 2.38 million passengers on international routes, up 16.4 percent year on year, according to latest data from the administration.

In May, 826,000 passengers travelled by plane on routes connecting the Mainland with Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, up 17.7 percent year on year.