International transit services have reached a new level of sophistication, efficiency, and convenience. Recently, Haikou Meilan International Airport, under the umbrella of Hainan Holdings, officially activated its fast-track lane for the 24-hour direct transit visa-free border inspection procedure. Eligible international transit passengers can now complete the entire verification process within seconds by simply scanning their ID, boarding pass, and undergoing facial recognition at the lane's gate. This fully realizes the "arrive and go" promise, dramatically improving the transit experience for travelers and strengthening Haikou's port clearance support for the Hainan Free Trade Port's high-level opening-up.
Under the traditional international transit procedure, passengers had to proceed through a designated passage to the border inspection counter after arrival, where their passports were stamped with a transit seal. On November 3, 2025, the National Immigration Administration announced that starting November 5, ten international airports, including Haikou Meilan, would be designated as ports where 24-hour direct transit passengers are exempt from exit-entry border inspection procedures. Transit passengers holding international connecting tickets valid for a 24-hour window and transiting through these airports to a third country or region without leaving the airport premises are now exempt from these checks.
To facilitate the implementation of this 24-hour direct transit policy, Haikou Meilan Airport quickly deployed a temporary international transit inspection system, supplemented by manual verification. While this approach ensured interim operational stability, it introduced challenges such as extended waiting times, cumbersome procedures, and a lack of real-time data integration across different parties. These limitations hampered both the passenger experience and the airport's overall transit capacity.
The newly launched fast-track lane integrates automated document recognition, boarding pass scanning, and facial recognition into a single system. It enables efficient data collection and compliance verification for 24-hour direct transit passengers, significantly reducing waiting times and fully unlocking the benefits of the exemption policy. In tandem, the airport continues to maintain manual inspection channels to accommodate special groups, including elderly travelers and families with children, ensuring a balance between high-efficiency clearance and service warmth.
It is worth highlighting that by August 3, the airport's international and regional passenger throughput had surpassed the one-million mark—45 days earlier than the same milestone in 2025. This underscores the robust growth momentum of the Hainan Free Trade Port's aviation market. As of August 17, Haikou Meilan Airport has implemented through-check-in baggage services on multiple routes, including Hong Kong (China), Macau (China), Auckland, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Jakarta, Dubai, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, and Melbourne.
Looking ahead, Haikou Meilan Airport plans to collaborate with airlines and joint inspection units to expand the scope of international through-flights, ensuring the benefits of the 24-hour transit exemption policy reach more connecting passengers. Concurrently, the airport is committed to advancing the digital upgrade of its entire international transit process, leveraging smart port technology to enhance clearance efficiency and quality, and striving to build a convenient and efficient international air transit hub.