Two travelers from Cairo in Egypt arrive at Hangzhou International Airport on March 17. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

The landing of flight CX958 at Hangzhou International Airport on March 17 tipped the total number of inbound and outbound passengers there to over 1 million in the first quarter of 2025, representing a hefty 8.7 percent year-on-year increase.

Among the passengers streaming to the airport, over 160,000 were foreign nationals, up a whopping 37.8 percent. To top it off, more than 40,000 entered China visa-free, with that number soaring by over 134 percent.

The exponential increase follows China's optimization of its transit visa-free policy late last year, with Hangzhou airport seeing the most significant growth in visa-free arrivals.

According to the Hangzhou Border Inspection Station, the majority of foreign travelers came from visa-free countries such as South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand – primarily for tourism, conferences and business visits. To accommodate this rising demand, the station has enhanced AI-powered systems to improve its clearance efficiency.

What's more, the station has developed an intelligent monitoring system, leveraging 3D visual tracking, data modeling and AI analysis to monitor 32 outbound lanes in real time. The system predicts waiting times and congestion levels, streamlining the passenger flow.

The digitalization of clearance procedures is widely said to have further improved the overall travel experience of people.

The Hangzhou Border Inspection Station has introduced self-service foreign entry card terminals, biometric data collection devices and digital boarding passes, reducing processing times significantly.

Moving forwards, plans are for Hangzhou airport to expand AI applications across immigration management – ensuring security while enhancing the smart clearance experience of travelers from around the world.

A foreign traveler uses the new AI-powered system for his immigration clearance. [Photo/Hangzhou Border Inspection Station]