BEIJING -- China is estimated to witness over 344 million inter-regional passenger trips on Friday, the first day of this year's May Day holiday.

The figure represents a 3.4 percent increase from the same period last year, the Ministry of Transport said on Friday.

Road trips are expected to reach 315.24 million, marking a 3.2 percent increase from the same period last year.

Railways are forecast to handle 24.8 million passenger trips, up 7.3 percent year-on-year, and waterways are expected to see 1.73 million trips, marking a 4.9 percent increase.

However, air travel is estimated to record 2.33 million trips, down 0.7 percent from the same period last year.

Inbound and outbound passenger flows are also expected to average 2.25 million daily and peak at more than 2.4 million in a single day, according to the National Immigration Administration forecast on Tuesday, as the May Day holiday beginning on May 1 ranks among the busiest travel periods of the year.