BEIJING, Dec. 25 -- China's civil aviation sector has grown steadily this year with profits in the first 11 months hitting 29.94 billion yuan (4.7 billion U.S. dollars), Chinese civil aviation authorities said Thursday.

The figure has surpassed annual profits in 2013, according to Li Jiaxiang, head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The civil aviation industry achieved robust growth in 2014 by extending airports' operating hours, optimizing flight routes and promoting global integration, Li said at a national work conference on civil aviation in Beijing.

The CAAC also forecast that the number of air travellers in the country will reach 390 million this year, up 10.1 percent year on year, and the civil aviation market will have targeted passenger traffic of 430 million in 2015.

The aviation sector is also expected to witness a surge in freight transport volume this year, with air cargo volume expected to grow 5.3 percent year on year to reach 5.91 million tonnes in 2014.

Li stressed aviation safety at the conference and urged greater efforts to improve air travel services and reduce flight delays.