Guiyang airport sees passenger surge in Q1

Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport saw 80,895 international passengers in the first quarter of this year, a year-on-year increase of 26.47 percent. International flights totaled 748, up 34.29 percent.

Travelers wait in line for customs clearance at the airport. [Photo/colorful Guizhou network]

The airport expanded its route network to Southeast Asia at the beginning of this year, launching five direct air routes connecting Guiyang with all major regions in Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kuching, Johor Bahru, and Kota Kinabalu. These routes make travel easier while boosting economic, trade, and cultural exchanges between Guizhou and Malaysia.

Most flights between Guiyang and Malaysia previously required transfers and took over 10 hours. Direct flights now take just 4 to 5 hours, while reducing transportation costs significantly. The air routes meet the demands of international tourists traveling to Guizhou and facilitate outbound trips and business travel for local residents.

In the first quarter of this year, the number of international trips by mainland residents stood at 44,545, a year-on-year increase of 10.59 percent. International trips by Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents reached 14,270, up 73.33 percent year-on-year. Those by foreign nationals totaled 21,641, a year-on-year growth of 55.74 percent. Among them, 9,249 international visitors entering China benefited from the country's mutual visa-free, unilateral visa-free, as well as 24-hour and 240-hour transit visa-free policies, surging by 78.97 percent year-on-year.

Kuang Lei, a representative of the Guizhou Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection Station, said that with the increase in international flights at Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport, Guizhou has become more closely connected with the outside world.

This will further boost tourism consumption, advance business and trade cooperation, and deepen cultural exchanges, supporting Guiyang in its efforts to become an aviation hub linking Southwest China with Southeast Asia, and injecting new impetus into Guizhou's high-quality development.