HAIKOU, October 6. /TASS/. The average daily passenger traffic at Meilan International Airport in Hainan's Haikou exceeded 60,000 people in four days of the "golden week" in China, according to the Hainan Daily.
In total, over 251,400 passengers used the airport's services on October 1-4. During the said period, Meilan International Airport received and dispatched 1,784 flights. This indicator turned out to be by 5.06% higher in annual terms. As for the volume of freight and postal traffic, in the first four days of the holidays it amounted to more than 2,300 tonnes.
From June to August 2020, Haikou Airport was ranked among the five most actively rehabilitating air harbors in China for three consecutive months. On the eve of the holidays, September 30, the daily passenger traffic of Meilan Airport for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic exceeded the mark of 60,000 people, and on October 1 this airport served a record 65,000 passengers.
Currently, the second phase of the expansion of Meilan International Airport is being completed. By the end of 2020, the newly built facilities, including the second terminal, will be commissioned. The expansion of the airport is an important part of Hainan's free trade port project, as most of the passenger and freight traffic is conducted by air. The authorities invested 17.8 billion yuan (about $ 2.5 billion) in the construction of the new infrastructure.
All this new infrastructure will increase the total annual passenger traffic to 45 million people, and the volume of freight traffic - up to 600,000 tonnes. It is also planned to increase international passenger traffic from 8 million to 10 million people annually.
The first days of the 10th month in China fall on weekends and are considered the "golden week". At this time, the Chinese leave big cities for their hometowns or go on a trip around the country. Traditionally, Hainan is one of the most popular travel destinations. This year's holiday week coincided with the lunar Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiujie). This time it falls on October 1. Having no opportunity of traveling abroad, many Chinese have to spend their holidays at the country's resorts, and the beaches of Hainan are especially popular.