The Hangzhou International Airport. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

On Oct 29, Zhejiang province's airports will start implementing the 2023 winter season flight schedule.

Over the course of a week, the planned number of flights will reach 13,700, averaging nearly 2,000 flights per day, marking a 9.4 percent year-on-year increase in the number of scheduled flights.

Among the flights, international and regional passenger routes have rebounded to 81.2 percent of the 2019 figures, surpassing the national average by nearly 10 percentage points.

Out of the seven airports in Zhejiang, Hangzhou International Airport is set to operate 6,940 weekly flights this season, reflecting a 10.9 percent year-on-year growth and ranking ninth in terms of number of flights across the country.

Hangzhou International Airport will have direct passenger routes to seven intercontinental destinations, including Rome in Italy, Lisbon in Portugal, Cairo in Egypt, Madrid in Spain, Moscow in Russia, Sydney in Australia, and Auckland in New Zealand.

Furthermore, the airport is planning to reinstate or open routes to cities such as Okinawa, Vientiane, Da Nang, Kaohsiung, and Taipei Songshan as well as increase the flight frequency to popular international cities such as Bangkok, Osaka, Nha Trang, and Phuket. Flights to destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, and Chiang Mai will see an increase of more than 50 percent.

Among the new international routes, the Hangzhou-Sydney-Auckland round-trip route will become Zhejiang province's first fifth air freedom passenger route. The fifth air freedom right, also known as the third country access right, allows airlines from one country to operate on an international route that includes a stop in a third country to transport passengers and cargo. It is considered the most economically-significant right in aviation and is an important indicator of a region's external openness and business environment.

Hangzhou airport's express flights will also see an increase in the new season. The number of routes from Hangzhou to Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen will increase to 40, 34, and 33 flights daily, respectively.

The Hangzhou International Airport. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]