China's Hainan island expects over 8.25 million air passenger trips in summer travel season

Inbound passengers wait to go through border procedures at a border inspection station of Haikou Meilan International Airport in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, June 17, 2026. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

HAIKOU, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The two major airports in China's southern island province of Hainan are expected to handle more than 8.25 million air passenger trips during the summer travel season, which begins on July 1.

Haikou Meilan International Airport is forecast to handle nearly 4.63 million passenger trips in July and August, with around 32,000 flights scheduled, up 0.9 percent and 1.25 percent respectively year on year.

Multiple airlines have planned to increase flight frequencies on routes between Haikou and cities including Wuhan, Chongqing and Changsha. The airport has expanded its international network with more flights to Jakarta and a new route to Madrid.

Sanya Phoenix International Airport, located in the resort city of Sanya, is projected to handle about 3.63 million passenger trips and 22,800 flights during the summer travel season.

To accommodate the projected passenger surge, the airport plans to increase flight frequencies on domestic routes to major cities including Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Zhengzhou, and enhance capacity on key routes by deploying wide-body aircraft.