Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport hit a big milestone with a daily passenger count of 101,000 on Aug 15, setting a new record during the busy summer travel season.

As the city's culture and tourism market grows, the airport has improved its route network and flight schedules with airlines, keeping an average daily passenger count of over 90,000. Domestic travel has grown steadily, while international routes have seen a big increase in traffic.

The airport has improved its domestic network, with 166 routes now connecting 86 cities across the country. Key routes to places like Guangzhou, Changchun, Hangzhou, and Urumqi have been increased, with special check-in counters, fast security, and exclusive baggage areas for passengers. New or resumed flights to cities like Qiqihar, Yanji, Ganzhou, and Wuyishan have been added to meet demand.

International routes are also growing fast. The airport now has 25 international routes, 11 of which are exclusive to Shandong province.

During the summer, international passenger numbers grew by 28 percent, with strong growth in routes to Japan and South Korea. Passenger numbers to the two countries rose by 36 percent, with Seoul, Busan, and Cheongju among the top routes. Southeast Asian routes also saw a 44 percent rise in travelers, helped by visa-free policies. So far this year, international passenger numbers at Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport have exceeded 2 million.

To improve travel, the airport has streamlined its transfer system, offering easy cross-airline connections with direct baggage check-in for passengers from 40 domestic airports.

Meanwhile, using Qingdao's geographical advantages, the airport has focused on building an efficient transfer network covering 25 domestic cities for flights to Japan and South Korea via Qingdao. As of Aug 15, transfers through Qingdao made up 20 percent of all passengers traveling to the two countries.

Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport achieves a historic milestone with a daily passenger throughput of 101,000 on Aug 15. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]