A passenger plane gets set to take off from Hangzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: zhelihangzhou]

Hangzhou International Airport – located in Xiaoshan district – efficiently dealt with a surge in cross-border passengers during the Spring Festival travel rush.

The airport handled 3,488 international passenger flights and 543,500 inbound and outbound travelers during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush from Jan 14 to Feb 22 – up 13.8 percent and 8.61 percent, respectively, on the previous year, Hangzhou Customs announced.

International travel remained in high demand, with new and resumed routes enhancing connectivity. Hangzhou restored flights to Bali and Hanoi and increased frequencies to Tokyo, Nagoya, Almaty, Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore.

The airport's international transfer service, launched last October, provided smoother connections for passengers transiting through Hangzhou. Currently, there are six international transfer routes available – including flights to Dubai, Almaty and Moscow.

Among travel destinations, Hong Kong was the most popular due to its convenient transport network and diverse attractions. Elsewhere, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand were also favored by outbound travelers.

Meanwhile, inbound tourism surged, fueled by China's visa-free policy.

To ensure smooth customs clearances during the peak season, Hangzhou Customs formed a Spring Festival task force, closely coordinating with airlines and the airport.

The use of smart customs clearance technologies – including automated gates, dual baggage pre-screening and AI-powered image analysis – paved the way for seamless and efficient processing for travelers.

Inbound travelers patiently wait in line for their customs clearances. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]