Statistics from the city’s airport, unveiled on January 2, conclude that its two major indicators, namely the annual passenger throughput and the number of take-offs and landings, both reached record highs in year 2024.

Over the past year, the airport handled a total of 48.05 million passengers, with an average daily flow of 131,000, marking a 16.7% increase compared to last year; flight takeoffs and landings reached 320,000, with an average of 874 flights per day, up 6.6% year-on-year. During the peak season in summer, the airport set new records three times for daily passenger flow, reaching a high of 159,600 persons; and its daily flight landings exceeded a thousand for the first time, hitting 1,001 flights.

Last year, the airport handled a total of 293,565 domestic flights, an increase of 9,614 flights from 2023. Notably, key routes to Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen saw nearly a 5% growth. In line with the tourism market, popular destinations like Harbin and Altay enjoyed an average seasonal flight increase of 17.8%.

Beyond domestic, the airport is quickening steps in connecting countries/regions under the “Belt and Road” initiative, such as the launch of a flight to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which is the first one in Zhejiang, and an additional passenger route to Melbourne, Australia. Over the year, the airport has introduced or resumed ten routes, including those to Vientiane, Ho Chi Minh City, Nagoya, and Shizuoka, etc. The total flight network now includes 36 destinations across 21 countries/regions.

In terms of cargo transport, the airport set open a new flight to Vancouver and more flights to Budapest (now seven flights per week). They are bringing fresh delicacies, like king crab from Russia and cherries from Chile, to our tables, and are facilitating the export of quality “made-in-Zhejiang” goods through cross-border e-commerce. It has been a driver for the province’s high-quality development and opening strategy.