As the summer grassland welcomes throngs of visitors, the skies above the airport remain a constant hive of activity. As the 2026 summer travel season draws to a close, Hulunbuir Airport reported a total of 8,812 aircraft movements and 1,275,000 passenger trips between July and August, marking year-on-year growth of 5.1% and 5.3% respectively. To conquer this formidable "peak-season test," the entire staff of Hulunbuir Airport rose to the challenge, dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to safeguarding every journey bound for the Hulunbuir prairie.

During this period, Hulunbuir Airport operated 64 routes connecting to 46 cities, covering key economic zones and tourist source markets across North, East, South, and Southwest China. Eleven "airport-to-airport" routes were launched, spanning 10 regional destinations within the autonomous region. The airport also intensified flight frequency between Hailar and Hohhot, optimizing the flight schedule structure in support of the Hohhot hub. For international and regional services, four routes to Hong Kong, Chita, Seoul, and Ulaanbaatar continued to operate, creating a comprehensive aviation network characterized by smooth regional connectivity, dense domestic coverage, and international reach.

This impressive performance stems from the Inner Mongolia Airport Group's strategic route planning, combined with civil aviation development funding from the autonomous region and route subsidy policies from the Hulunbuir municipal government. By precisely aligning with the travel demands of the cultural tourism market, Hulunbuir Airport added and enhanced multiple key domestic routes, while continuously refining the regional "airport-to-airport" network to improve connectivity between branch airports. Furthermore, steady progress was made in developing international routes, establishing an external aviation corridor linking Russia and Mongolia, and using aviation as a bridge to foster bilateral cultural, tourism, and trade exchanges. This year, Beibu Gulf Airlines joined the Hulunbuir market, adding fresh momentum to the route map. During the peak season, three E190 and two Airbus A320 aircraft were stationed overnight, providing more reliable capacity during the morning and evening rush hours. To bridge communication gaps with airlines, Hulunbuir Airport organized special symposiums for airline agents, directly gathering operational needs from carriers and ground handling units, addressing bottlenecks in flight support and ground operations, and establishing a regular, efficient collaboration platform that encouraged airlines to station representatives on-site during the busy season, further solidifying the foundation for market operations.

Thorough preparation preceded decisive action. To secure a successful summer campaign, Hulunbuir Airport initiated full-chain preparatory measures well before the season arrived. In mid-April, an annual operational capability assessment was conducted across all departments, with results serving as the basis for staffing increases and equipment maintenance planning. Each department conducted comprehensive risk identification audits covering personnel, facilities, operational procedures, and management systems, resolving all identified issues through closed-loop protocols. Following these evaluations, Hulunbuir Airport implemented measures such as a runway inspection model combining routine patrols, enhanced peak-hour checks, and post-rainfall inspections, as well as a security screening model featuring fully open lanes and tidal flow management, effectively managing risks before the passenger volume surged.

Each position ramped up preparations. Hulunbuir Airport revised four airport-level operational management manuals and prompted all departments to update their work instructions to strengthen safety protocols. Additionally, in coordination with the municipal government, the Hulunbuir City Civil Aircraft Accident Response Plan was compiled and issued, while emergency response agreements were signed with the municipal 120 emergency command center, the airport public security bureau, and the air traffic control station. These actions addressed gaps in on-site medical rescue and streamlined fire and rescue access procedures. In July, as thunderstorms became frequent, the airport utilized early warning systems, coordinated resource deployment, and multiple strategies to stabilize flight departure punctuality, minimizing the impact of adverse weather on operations. That month, the flight departure punctuality rate reached 93.25%, 8.38 percentage points above the industry average, ranking second among 61 airports nationwide with a passenger throughput share of 0.2% or more.

"We are committed to ensuring every passenger arriving at or departing from Hulunbuir Airport experiences warmth," said Zhao Xiuli, manager of the ground services department at Hulunbuir Airport. The airport is embedding proactive service into daily operations by empowering frontline staff with the authority to handle unexpected situations. During the summer, heartwarming incidents emerged, such as repairing passenger wheelchairs and covering medical expenses for injured travelers, with a total of 512 commendations received from passengers, integrating human care throughout the entire travel experience.

With flight volumes during the summer reaching three to four times the norm and daily passenger throughput nearly eight times higher, manpower became the linchpin for the peak season. Hulunbuir Airport adopted a dual approach of leveraging internal resources and seeking external support to resolve staffing shortages. By tapping into internal potential, five employees were reassigned to critical roles such as electromechanical maintenance, special vehicle operations, and field maintenance following operational restructuring, and 11 security screeners were recruited before the season began. Additionally, over 20 administrative staff were mobilized to frontline positions, partially easing the pressure internally. However, internal staffing alone proved insufficient. External support was a vital boost for Hulunbuir Airport. This year, the Inner Mongolia Airport Group and Sanya Phoenix International Airport established a security personnel exchange mechanism, bringing in experienced security personnel from Sanya for cross-regional assistance. With the augmented team, a total of 104 security officers were deployed for the peak season under a shift pattern of one day on, one day off with supplemental rotations, allowing up to eight regular passenger security lanes to operate daily. Moreover, leveraging a party-building partnership with Xilinhot Airport, a regular talent exchange mechanism was established, facilitating seven personnel from security and operations monitoring roles at Xilinhot Airport to support operations on a rotational basis. By integrating management restructuring, cross-regional support, assistance from sibling airports, and administrative downsizing, a robust internal-external human resources system effectively addressed the "peak-season staffing shortage" common to tourist airports, laying a solid foundation for stable summer operations.

With the summer challenge now complete, the commitment to progress continues unabated. Hulunbuir Airport will systematically review and summarize the experiences and practices from the peak season, continue to optimize its route network, solidify cross-regional human resource collaboration mechanisms, steadfastly uphold safety baselines, and steadily enhance service quality. By fully leveraging aviation's role in driving local economic growth, the airport aims to contribute to the high-quality development of the regional economy.