Record numbers expected as travel rush begins

Beijing Daxing International Airport is also expected to witness an influx of international passengers.

"The number of international passengers had been growing of late, even before the travel rush started," said Wang Qiang, deputy head of the airport's aviation business department.

He noted that the airport witnessed a daily peak in international passenger trips on Sunday with 12,500 trips, highlighting the expected surge in international trips from the airport during the travel rush.

The airport is expected to handle more than 10,000 international trips every day during the rush period. Overall, the airport is likely to see 5.5 million passenger trips during the time, a substantial increase from the 3.77 million passenger trips handled during last year's Spring Festival.

Wang also said the volume of international trips is expected to double this year, reaching 4 million. Last year, the airport handled 2 million international trips.

The surge in overseas travel is evident, as a college student surnamed Yang recounted her experience as she departed from the capital for Macao on Friday.

She spent 2,500 yuan ($350) on the round-trip between Beijing and Macao and found the ticket price to be reasonable.

"Daxing airport is big and doesn't feel crowded. The instructions are clear, and I can easily figure out what to do," she said, adding that this is the first time she is traveling through this airport. The airport was inaugurated in September, 2019.

Though the airport was not crowded, Yang said she saw many people carrying luggage and gifts on the subway to the airport. "That tells you the Spring Festival rushhas started," she said.

Immanuel Capistrano from the United Kingdom and Flavia Placenza from Italy noted the increased pressure on the roads en route to the airport.

"The trip usually takes no more than 50 minutes, but today it took an hour," Placenza said. She saw Capistrano off at Daxing airport on Friday, as he left for London.

At the inquiry counter on the fourth floor at Beijing Daxing — which is dedicated to overseas departures, including to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan — a staff member said she has been seeing more international passengers every day compared to last year.

China's civil aviation sector had been severely impacted by the pandemic, particularly in the international sector. The country aims to support the recovery of international civil aviation this year.

The recent adoption of visa-free policies between China and Singapore, as well as China and Thailand, is expected to further stimulate international travel.

With more international trips expected this year, the Spring Festival travel rush marks just the beginning of a potential resurgence in international travel.