Ordos airport celebrates 2m passengers

Staff members at Ordos International Airport hold a banner celebrating the total number of passengers handled by the airport in 2017. [Photo/nmgnews.com.cn]

A woman surnamed Dong receives a free return flight to Nha Trang to mark the two millionth passenger handled by the airport. [Photo/nmgnews.com.cn]

Passenger numbers handled by Ordos International Airport over the past year have hit two million, meaning the airport is now a mid-sized airport, after a woman surnamed Dong became the two millionth passenger to board a flight from the Ordos airport to Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, on Dec 12.

The woman was given free return tickets to Nha Trang to mark the airport’s achievement.

Ordos International Airport is enjoying rapid growth as the city becomes more involved in the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi in 2013. Since the implementation of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), the airport has witnessed a rapid increase in passenger numbers.

In 2011, total passenger throughput reached one million; in 2015, the number was 1.52 million; in 2016, the number hit 1.7 million. This year witnessed a new record set by the airport as total passengers handled by the airport hit two million.

In the 10 years since the airport was established, it has handled 13 million passengers. It now has 52 services linking 54 cities, in partnership with 16 airlines from home and abroad.