Urumqi airport sees record number of travelers

URUMQI - In 2016, 20 million people traveled through the airport in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, according to local airport authorities.

The Urumqi Diwobao International Airport saw 10 million tourists in 2011, and has been growing by two million each year since, the airport said in a statement.

Currently, 33 Chinese and foreign airlines have operations at the Urumqi airport, which is connected to 100 cities in China and overseas.

Urumqi will become an international hub, connecting East Asia with Central Asia, Western Asia and Europe, the statement said.

By the end of 2020, the number of tourists will reach 30 million, it said.