Harbin airport’s passenger throughput hits record

Harbin Taiping International Airport continues to record high annual passenger throughput. As of Dec 17, it exceeded 18 million, an increase of 2 million trips have been made via flight year on year.

In 2010, the airport handled more than 10 million passengers for the first time, making it one of the busiest airports in Northeast China.

The airport's passenger throughput is forecast to reach 18.7 million by the end of 2017.

Tourism has been oneo of the important factors driving the development of Harbin’s airport.

In recent years, Harbin’s winter tourism has gained increasing popularity at home and abroad. Harbin was ranked the top 1 destination for ice and snow tourism, according to a winter tourism development report recently launched by China Tourism Academy, the data center of National Tourism Bureau. Meanwhile, the annual Harbin international ice and snow festival is the most influential winter tourism activity in China.

“Tourism in Harbin has seen great growth since early winter,” said Sun Chunjing, general manager of Heilongjiang Airport Group. All the flights linking Harbin to Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai are always packed.

Statistics from Harbin airport reveals that from Dec 1 to 16, the airport handled a record high of 820,000 passengers, seeing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent. The airport will welcome more passengers as the winter tourism activities in Harbin reach peak, said Sun.

The increasing number of exhibitions and trade fairs held in Harbin is another important factor boosting the passenger flow of Harbin airport.

At least one exhibition is held in Harbin every single day, attracting business men from home and abroad to fly to Harbin to seek cooperation opportunities and sign deals. Averages of 4 million businessmen come to Harbin annually.

Harbin is connected to 100 domestic and overseas cities via 177 flight routes, covering all the capital cities of China’s provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions, as well as cities in Russia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore.

A total of 44 airlines have launched operations at the airport, including the China Southern Airlines and Air China.