Hangzhou Airport achieved new operational milestones on August 2, handling 166,900 passengers and 1,036 flight movements, both setting all-time highs since its inauguration.
Midway through the summer travel season, passenger traffic at the airport continues to surge. It has now transported a cumulative 4.93 million travelers during this period, representing a 1.2% increase compared to the same timeframe in 2025, with an average daily throughput of nearly 150,000 passengers.
Driven by surging demand for family trips and educational tours, the airport has been actively optimizing its route network and increasing capacity on popular routes. For example, services to Xinjiang have expanded to eight cities—including Urumqi, Karamay, Kashgar, Tumxuk, Korla, Aksu, Altay, and Aral—with weekly flights reaching 190. For major destinations such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Chengdu, the airport has increased the proportion of wide-body aircraft to enhance the travel experience.
On the international front, Hangzhou Airport has added a new route to Busan this summer and increased frequencies on popular international routes to Ho Chi Minh City and Kuala Lumpur. Benefiting from the continued relaxation of visa-free policies, from July 1 to August 2, the airport processed a total of 443,000 inbound and outbound passengers. Among them, foreign nationals entering under unilateral visa-free, mutual visa exemption, or transit visa-free policies accounted for nearly 60% of all inbound foreign travelers.
Despite the surge in passenger numbers, service quality has remained high. Since the start of the summer season, Hangzhou Airport has introduced several new initiatives to improve travel convenience. For business travelers, the "Hangzhou-Shenzhen" express route has upgraded its voluntary inter-airline ticket transfer service, removing the previous restriction requiring tickets at a 60% discount or higher. This now allows flexible transfers across nine airlines at any fare level. Additionally, the "Instant Hangzhou Travel" service has expanded its coverage. Passengers flying on 16 routes operated by Air China, China Southern Airlines, and China Eastern Airlines, who have no checked baggage and have not requested special assistance, can now board by arriving at the gate no later than 15 minutes before departure.
Furthermore, Hangzhou Airport is strengthening collaboration with local cultural and tourism authorities to boost the tourism market. Upon arrival, passengers can immediately benefit from cultural tourism projects such as "Performance & Tour in Binjiang" and "One Ticket Tour in Xiaoshan." By integrating airline ticket benefits and offering consumption subsidies, the airport aims to enhance its role in attracting air travelers, stimulate cultural and tourism spending, and build a new integrated development model for "aviation plus culture and tourism."