SHANGHAI, Jan 8 (Reuters) - China expects to see the number of trips made by air surge to 80 million during Jan. 26 to March 5 period around the annual Lunar New Year holiday, its aviation regulator said on Monday.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China told a regular news conference that the number would be up 9.8% from 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and would mark a new record if reached. (Reporting by Albee Zhang Brenda Goh; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)