Cross-border traveler volume matches last year’s total
2025-10-19 19:10:16
By Chen Zai
At 11:49 am on October 17, Flight QW6191 departed Yichang Sanxia International Airport for Bangkok with 188 passengers on board. With this flight, the airport’s cross-border travelers for the year surpassed 106,800, which was the total for 2024. The figure is expected to rise further, with more than two months remaining in 2025.
At 11:49 am on October 17, Flight QW6191 departed Yichang Sanxia International Airport for Bangkok with 188 passengers on board. With this flight, the airport’s cross-border travelers for the year surpassed 106,800, which was the total for 2024. The figure is expected to rise further, with more than two months remaining in 2025.
Passengers line up for border inspection at Yichang Sanxia International Airport.
Photo by correspondent Su Rui.
Photo by correspondent Su Rui.
This year, the airport has expanded its international and regional network, maintaining regular summer-autumn routes to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Hong Kong, while resuming direct flights to Seoul in September.
New visa-free policies and improved entry-exit measures have significantly boosted passenger flows, said Lü Juan, head of the airport’s Border Inspection Department. Of all entries and exits, 63,500 were foreign travelers from 34 countries. This traveler number is an increase of 33 percent year-on-year and accounts for nearly 60 percent of all cross-border trips.
An immigration policewoman assists a passenger during inspection.
Photo by correspondent Su Rui
Photo by correspondent Su Rui
Wang Ying, Ou Hongping, Wang Ke, Zhang Xiangyang, Li Linsen contributed to this story.
