Flocks of passengers at Sanxia Airport

By Yan Wanqin, Yichang International Communication Studio

Air travel in Yichang made a strong recovery during the Spring Festival holiday from January 21 till 27.

The airport handled 492 flights during the seven-day period, 24 percent up on a year ago, with 51,000 passengers passing through, 58 percent more than for the 2022 Spring Festival.

January 26 was the busiest day, with 10,721 passengers leaving or arriving. For the first time since July 23, 2021, Sanxia Airport handled more than 10,000 passengers on a single day.

Passengers check in at Yichang Sanxia Airport.

This is the first Spring Festival since China adjusted its pandemic policies. To meet the surging demand for air travel, Yichang Sanxia Airport liaised with airlines to increase capacity on popular routes. About 400 extra flights were added between Yichang and major destinations, including Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dalian and Guiyang.

The airport opened three new routes: Yichang-Hefei, Yichang-Changsha and Yichang-Nanchang, all operated by Beibu Gulf Airlines. Further options were provided by China Southern Airlines, which started flying the Shantou-Yichang-Xining route again, and China Eastern Airlines, which reinstituted its Taiyuan-Yichang-Beihai flights.

Planes on the tarmac at Yichang Sanxia Airport during the Spring Festival travel rush.