The 62-day summer travel season has officially concluded, with Dalian Airport showing steady progress in transport operations and achieving multiple new historical highs in key performance indicators.

From July 1 to August 31, the airport handled a cumulative 4.57 million passenger trips, a 3.9% year-on-year increase that set a new all-time high. August alone saw 2.36 million passengers and 15,000 aircraft movements, breaking the previous monthly record. Passenger throughput exceeded 70,000 on 49 individual days, with July 31, August 6, August 8, and August 20 each successively setting new daily passenger records. On August 20, daily passenger volume reached 80,440, marking the first time the airport surpassed the 80,000-passenger mark in a single day.

Precision Service Delivery Showcases International Gateway Image

This summer's travel rush coincided with the APEC Third Senior Officials' Meeting held in Dalian, presenting a dual challenge. Dalian Airport responded with high-standard deployment and meticulous execution, establishing a dedicated support task force to coordinate operations with the strictest requirements and optimal service quality. A total of 520 APEC-related flights and 2,123 guests were supported. Inside the terminal, 206 bilingual directional signs and themed promotional displays were installed, along with dedicated check-in counters and security lanes. Volunteer reception points were set up, and multilingual business staff were selected for support duties. Multiple rounds of specialized training in foreign-related services and emergency response were conducted, while ample parking and platform areas were prepared for arrivals. Three key foreign business service areas - catering and retail supply, currency exchange, and foreign card payments - were fully operational. Additional conveniences such as dedicated boarding guidance, self-service immigration card filing terminals, and a "dual pre-inspection" supervision model significantly enhanced customs clearance efficiency and service quality, successfully completing arrival and departure support for all meeting participants.

Expanded Route Network Precisely Matches Summer Travel Demand

With summer getaways and family travelers dominating the passenger mix, Dalian Airport strategically thickened capacity on popular tourist and trunk routes. Flights to Shanghai reached up to 26 daily, while Beijing services peaked at 17 daily, making the Dalian-Shanghai and Dalian-Beijing shuttles operate at near bus-frequency levels. Hohhot saw the highest flight growth among all destinations, benefiting from grassland summer retreat popularity, with an average of 3.5 additional daily flights and up to 6 per day at peak, essentially allowing walk-up travel. Cities including Nanjing, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Changsha, and Tianjin all maintained 8 or more daily flights, with overall load factors approaching 90%.

Notably, this summer marked the launch of a direct route to Dali, making Dalian Airport the first in Northeast China to offer a direct air link to the Yunnan destination, fulfilling local residents' dream of departing from Dalian to "go where the wind blows." On the international front, following the earlier successful launches of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur routes, three new Russian Far East destinations - Yakutsk, Khabarovsk, and Anadyr - were added during the summer period. Vladivostok service remained at four weekly flights. The South Korean market showed particularly strong performance, with Seoul operating six daily flights and passenger numbers growing 13.9% year-on-year. During the summer season, Dalian Port processed over 220,000 inbound and outbound passengers, including more than 94,000 foreign nationals, with over 80% of foreign visitors entering under visa-free policies. The continued release of visa-free policy benefits has effectively stimulated international exchange activity at the port.

Battle Against Heat and Record Passenger Volumes Yields Historic Results

Dalian experienced unusually high temperatures this summer, peaking at 42°C. The sun-scorched apron proved to be the most demanding battleground for summer operations. The aircraft maintenance department handled an average of 10 flights per person daily, a new historical high. The ramp services department processed over 1.5 million pieces of checked baggage, with a single-day peak of 26,620 pieces, surpassing all previous records. The fire protection and security center completed 9,734 jet bridge connections to aircraft, extending its scratch-free safety record to 774,146 total connections. Security checkpoints served a peak of 3,869 passengers per hour and intercepted over 30,000 prohibited items, including more than 16,000 power banks without 3C certification, firmly maintaining safety defenses. The passenger service department supported 5,538 unaccompanied minors, a 17.36% increase year-on-year, while special passenger support peaked at 281 per day and 50 per hour, both setting new historical records.

This summer, Dalian Airport's flight departure punctuality rate reached 92.44%, up 2.17 percentage points year-on-year, while domestic near-gate C/D class daily turnover frequency improved to 18.26, up 1.5%. Both indicators rank among the top tier of China's airports handling over 10 million annual passengers.

The summer travel season has drawn to a successful close, but Dalian Airport's commitment to service continues without pause. This substantial historical achievement represents both the hard-won fruit of all airport staff enduring scorching heat and demanding conditions, and a vivid illustration of Dalian's rising air hub capacity and the city's growing openness to the world.