Taizhou Airport handled a total of 957,600 passengers in the first half of this year, representing a year-on-year increase of 99.33 percent. It also saw a 5.2 percent increase in cargo and mail, totaling 5,000 metric tons compared to the same period last year.

The number of flight takeoffs and landings soared to 8,137, marking a 75.37 percent rise from the previous year, as revealed by the latest statistics presented by the Taizhou Municipal Bureau of Transport at a conference held on July 31.

The summer travel season, which started on July 1, witnessed a surge in travel demand, leading to a booming civil aviation market.

In response, Taizhou Airport introduced several measures to enhance transportation capacity and prioritize passenger services, aiming to cater to the general public during the summer travel rush.

Tu Jiang, deputy general manager of Taizhou Airport Management Co Ltd, explained, "We have implemented 'travel companion' services for unaccompanied children, ensuring they are accompanied by staff throughout their journey. We have also established priority check-in counters exclusively for the elderly, disabled, pregnant, and late-arriving passengers. In addition, we have optimized check-in and security screening times, starting the procedures earlier, to enable passengers to complete the process swiftly and proceed to the waiting area, ensuring efficiency and smooth operations."

As the first summer travel season following the nation's optimization of COVID-19 prevention and control policies, Taizhou Airport collaborated with airlines to expand its range of routes, adding four domestic routes to Korla, Yueyang, Foshan, and Jieyang. In addition, the frequency of flights to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Chengdu-Chongqing region was increased to cater to the growing demand for business and tourism in the areas.

Presently, Taizhou Airport operates 23 routes, serving 24 destinations with three daily flights. In early August, a new route to Hohhot will be opened to accommodate summer travel for the public. In the upcoming winter season, the airport plans to resume flights to Changsha and add one to two provincial capitals to its existing routes, along with increased frequencies of business trunk routes, in order to meet the needs of residents visiting relatives and conducting business.

Taizhou Airport's expansion and renovation project is progressing steadily and expected to be completed by the end of this year. Once finished, it will increase the airport's passenger capacity and operational efficiency.