The 2026 summer travel season, spanning from July 1st to August 31st, is nearing its conclusion. As the peak period winds down, several popular travel destinations are still experiencing high passenger volumes, with a flurry of new data milestones being set across rail and air travel.

Liaoning's Rail Network Sees Passenger Surge with Enhanced Convenience

During this summer travel period, China Railway Shenyang Group has been dispatching an average of 700,000 passengers daily, with total projected passenger numbers expected to reach 43.36 million. The single-day peak hit 867,000 passengers. A combination of family reunions and summer retreat travel has concentrated passenger flow in cities like Shenyang, Dalian, Changbaishan, and Dandong. The Shenyang-Baishan High-Speed Railway, experiencing its inaugural summer season since opening, has transported 1.752 million passengers, reflecting a significant release of tourism demand.

To manage the heavy influx, Shenyang Station completed a passenger service upgrade before the summer season began. Security checkpoints have been relocated from the second floor and dispersed between the first floor and the metro interchange hall, easing congestion. Additionally, the station has streamlined the entry process by integrating ID verification with ticket checks, allowing passengers to board with a single ID scan for faster access. New additions include a naked-eye 3D screen and 18 triangular information displays in the waiting areas, helping travelers quickly locate their boarding gates from any angle.

Airports Maintain High Operations with Increased and New Routes

Major airports across Liaoning are also operating at high capacity. Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, for instance, saw daily passenger numbers exceed 70,000 for 46 days during the summer period. On August 20th, the airport achieved a record single-day passenger flow of 80,400, setting a new historical high for average daily traffic. Wu Menglu, deputy section chief of the statistical analysis office at the airport's marketing department, noted that from July 1st, the airport handled 28,000 flight takeoffs and landings and served 4.28 million passengers, significantly surpassing last year's figures. To meet demand, airlines have expanded the route network serving Dalian, increasing flight frequencies to and from cities such as Chengdu, Guiyang, Hangzhou, Hefei, Xiamen, and Kunming. A new direct route to Dali in Yunnan Province has also been launched with four weekly flights. Xu Huaiyuan, deputy manager of ground services at China Southern Airlines' Dalian branch, highlighted that previously travelers had to transfer via Beijing or Kunming, but now they can reach Dali directly, saving time and simplifying the journey for passengers.

Guangdong Airports Achieve Multiple Records with New Terminal Capacity

This year marks the first summer travel season for Guangzhou Baiyun Airport since the inauguration of its T3 terminal and fifth runway. With a convergence of tourist, family, and study tour traffic, Baiyun Airport has been operating at sustained high levels. The T3 terminal's launch has boosted passenger numbers; on August 15th, the airport managed 1,909 flights and transported 309,000 passengers in a single day, both figures setting new records. Despite challenges from typhoons like Maysak and Bavi, the airport's coordinated operational mechanism has helped adjust flights scientifically and enhanced flood prevention patrols in key areas, maintaining a high flight punctuality rate throughout the summer. Feng Yujia, deputy director of the operation control center at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, noted that the biggest change this year is the improved operational support capacity from the T3 terminal. Even with record passenger numbers, check-in and queuing times have not increased. The airport has also introduced services like air-rail intermodal transport and combined flight-plus-intercity rail tickets. Demand for summer retreat routes remains strong, prompting airlines to launch new services from Guangzhou to destinations like Xining, Hailar, and Altay, along with international additions to London, Moscow, and Nairobi. Meanwhile, the number of unaccompanied minors traveling has hit an all-time high. Gong Xiaojia, a staff member at China Southern Airlines' ground service department, reported that the record-setting number of unaccompanied children peaked at 661 on a single day for domestic outbound flights. To assist these young travelers, the airline has introduced vests for better visibility and adjusted check-in counters dynamically based on advance data forecasts.

Study Tours Surge with 44.6% Growth in Student Rail Travel

Student passenger traffic on railways has seen a notable increase of 44.6% year-on-year during the summer break. China Railway Guangzhou Group has organized 155 student group trips, totaling 29,000 passengers, with popular destinations including Beijing, Changsha, Guiyang, Fuzhou, and Lanzhou. Li Wenhao, the duty station master at Shenzhen North Station, mentioned the inaugural "Southern Train · Red Cotton" service from the Greater Bay Area to Quanzhou and the "Free and Easy" study tour trains to the northwest, creating immersive mobile classroom experiences. Additionally, to cater to personalized travel needs, a new "Coastal Delicacies" multi-ride ticket was launched from August 8th, covering 14 stations including Guangzhou Station, Shenzhen North, Foshan, Jiangmen, and Maoming, linking the western Guangdong coastal tourism corridor and boosting summer rail travel popularity.

Shaanxi's New Hubs Face First Major Test with Rising High-Speed Rail Ridership

Shaanxi has increased transport capacity and refined services to handle the large summer crowds. As of August 27th, China Railway Xi'an Group had transported 28.18 million passengers during the summer. Xi'an East Station, a newly operational key hub, has faced its first major peak-season test, sending out 1.329 million passengers and running 84.5 pairs of regular trains to 45 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Qiao Guotong, an assistant engineer at Xi'an East Station, explained that they are implementing a "one-day-one-schedule" strategy, adding peak-hour trains and nighttime high-speed services to fill capacity gaps. For popular destinations like Chengdu, Chongqing, Qingdao, Hankou, and Xining, measures such as train coupling and increased frequencies are in place. The newly opened Xi'an-Yan'an and Xi'an-Shiyan high-speed railways have also undergone their first summer stress test. These routes have created new fast corridors from central Shaanxi to northern Shaanxi and the northwest to central China, boosting cultural tourism along the lines. As of August 28th, Yan'an Station had transported 965,000 passengers this summer. The activation of the air-rail intermodal service center at Xi'an North Station has also made connections smoother, allowing passengers to complete flight check-ins and baggage checks directly at the high-speed rail station, then proceed directly to security and boarding at the airport for a seamless transfer.

Civil Aviation Sees Steady Growth with Improved Support Services

In civil aviation, Xi'an Xianyang International Airport handled 59,000 flights and transported 8.8 million passengers as of August 27th. With growing tourism interest, foreign passenger numbers are rising, prompting the airport to upgrade its services. It has launched a comprehensive service platform for inbound travelers, offering assistance with travel information, currency exchange, and mobile payment guidance.