SW Chinese city resumes, launches int'l air routes amid summer travel rush

This photo taken on April 1, 2023 shows a general view of the Chaotianmen wharf in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

CHONGQING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality will add or resume several international routes during the summer travel peak.

This year's summer travel rush started on July 1 and will last till Aug. 31.

To meet the travel needs of domestic and international tourists, Chongqing Airlines resumed direct flights between Chongqing and the Thai island of Phuket on July 1, and Xiamen Airlines has launched a new flight from Chongqing to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Air China will open a new route between Chongqing and Singapore on July 23.

Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport is expected to handle more than 8 million passengers during the summer travel peak, with more than 55,000 flights taking off and landing at the airport, exceeding the level recorded in the summer of 2019.

Since the beginning of this year, the number of international and regional passenger flights at the airport has increased significantly. Routes from Chongqing to London, Rome, Madrid, Budapest, Dubai, Seoul, Hong Kong and Taipei have been resumed or opened.

The summer travel rush is usually a busy season for China's rail and air travel services, as college students return home and transport demand for holidays and family visits soars.