Passenger flights are operating at high density, and cargo aircraft are shuttling frequently, with industrial chain and supply chain coordination becoming more pronounced. The value transformation of the aviation hub, driven by the deep integration of "aviation plus culture and tourism," is increasingly evident. On August 5, preliminary statistics from the Henan Airport Group showed that from January to July 2026, supported by the full implementation of the Spring Festival and summer travel rushes, the replication and promotion of the global aviation logistics "dual hub" cooperation model, and the active implementation of national consumption policies and aviation-culture-tourism integration policies, the Zhengzhou aviation hub continued to maintain a stable development momentum, playing a leading role in the central region's integration into the international market.

In the first seven months of 2026, Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport completed a passenger throughput of 16.688 million, including 16.18 million domestic passengers and over 500,000 international and regional passengers. During the first quarter, the airport seized opportunities like the Spring Festival travel rush to organize air transport, showing a robust development trend. During the Spring Festival period, daily passenger flow exceeded 100,000 for eight consecutive days, setting a new historical record. After the strong start in spring, the summer/autumn flight schedule began on March 29. In the new season, the airport's passenger destinations reached 110, an increase of 14 compared to 2025, continuously improving domestic and international connectivity. With the start of the summer travel rush, passenger growth accelerated significantly. In July 2026, the first month of the summer rush, the airport handled over 2.7 million passengers, with a month-on-month daily average increase of 28%.

In air cargo, Zhongyu Aviation Group is striving to be a key player in "building a unified national market circulation hub and a pivot for dual domestic and international circulation." Zhengzhou Airport continues to strengthen the "Air Silk Road," smooth the opening-up channels for the central region, and fully leverage its role as a pivot in the global air cargo landscape. In 2026, three new all-cargo airlines were introduced: Etihad Airways, Philippine Royal Air, and Mediterranean Arlan Airlines. Six new international and domestic cargo routes were opened. The airport has reached strategic cooperation agreements with Qitai, Zhoushan, Tianjin, and Xiamen airports, and is advancing air logistics information platform connectivity with Urumqi, Nantong, and Wuhu airports. The "trunk-feeder" network has further expanded, handling 17,000 tons of air-to-air transshipment cargo. The new "air-rail intermodal" model was selected as one of the seventh batch of system innovation cases in the Henan Pilot Free Trade Zone, supporting 343 air-rail intermodal flights, with a cumulative cargo volume increase of 86% year-on-year. Two front-end cargo stations were put into operation. Among them, the Kechuang Jincang station attracted leading cross-border e-commerce platforms to establish a central China aviation operations center. The Zhongdajie station relocated the Zhengzhou Airport port operation area to the Zhengzhou Jingkai Comprehensive Bonded Zone, adjacent to industrial clusters, significantly improving customs clearance efficiency and reducing logistics costs. These two stations have handled over 5,100 tons of cargo. As of the end of July, the airport had completed a total cargo and mail throughput of 540,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 4%, including 370,000 tons of international and regional cargo, up 8% year-on-year.

Since the start of the year, to implement national consumption policies and the Civil Aviation Administration of China's policies on aviation-culture-tourism integration, the Zhengzhou Airport terminal has become a main venue for showcasing the rich culture of the central region. It has partnered with over a hundred commercial outlets to organize a series of aviation-culture-tourism themed activities, yielding fruitful results. For example, during the Spring Festival market event at the airport, daily sales volume increased by 229% year-on-year. After the summer travel rush began, the airport launched a series of summer airport-themed cultural activities and a civil aviation science public welfare summer camp, achieving deep integration and value transformation of "aviation plus culture and tourism."

As of the end of July 2026, Zhengzhou Airport has opened 195 passenger routes (including 18 international and regional routes), connecting to 113 cities (including 17 international and regional cities) across 12 countries. It has also opened 52 all-cargo routes (including 36 international and regional routes), connecting to 53 cities (including 37 international and regional cities) across 26 countries.