Lijiang airport handles passenger throughput of 2.96 million

An air travel promotion conference is held in Lijiang, Yunnan province on June 14. [Photo by He Hongyan/news.cn]

Lijiang Sanyi International Airport handled 22,678 takeoffs and landings, 2.96 million passengers and 3,724 tons of cargo from January to May, according to official statistics released at the air travel promotion conference on June 14.

Nine emergency overnight parking spaces at the Lijiang Sanyi International Airport have been completed and put into use.

A reconstruction and expansion project is also in the works which will upgrade the airport from 4D to 4E, the second-highest ranking in China's five-tier airport system.

The city plans to build an airport economic zone and air economic corridor to strengthen connection with other regions and boost airport-related industries. The airport is expected to see 11 million visitors by 2020.

Passenger throughput reached 7.1 million and cargo throughput reached 10,266 tons in 2017, with a total of 54,000 flights being handled in the same time frame.

The Lijiang Sanyi International Airport is the second largest airport in Yunnan province and the fifth largest in Southwest China.

An airline company receives recognition for its contributions to air travel in Lijiang. [Photo by He Hongyan/news.cn]