HAIKOU, October 8. /TASS/. Passenger traffic at Meilan International Airport in Hainan's Haikou on the last day of the "golden week", which began on October 1, should reach about 67,000 people, reported www.hinews.cn.

In total, over 443,000 passengers have already used the airport's services on October 1-7. During the said period, Meilan International Airport received and dispatched 3116 flights. On the last day of the "golden week", the airport is expected to service about 457 flights.

The current "golden week" on the occasion of the Formation Day of the People's Republic of China and the Mid-Autumn Festival, which were celebrated on October 1, was the first since the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic. Not being able to travel abroad, many Chinese have decided to spend their holidays at the country's resorts, among which the beaches of Hainan are especially popular.

Amid the increased passenger traffic on holidays, the administration of Meilan International Airport had to increase the number of flights from Haikou to such destinations as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chongqing, Changsha, Wuhan and a number of others.

In June-August 2020, Haikou Airport was ranked among China's five most actively rehabilitating air harbors for three consecutive months. On September 30, on the eve of the holidays, the passenger traffic of Meilan Airport for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic crossed 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 being conducted by air. The province invested 17.8 billion yuan (about $ 2.5 billion) in the construction of new infrastructure.