Increasingly busy: The departure hall at Terminal 4 of Hangzhou International Airport. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

Hangzhou International Airport set a new single-day record with 1,007 flights on Aug 1, highlighting the region's accelerating aviation recovery during the summer travel rush.

The airport achieved multiple milestones in August: Annual passenger throughput exceeded 30 million on Aug 8 — one week earlier than in 2024 — while inbound and outbound passenger numbers topped 3 million on Aug 11, which was 20 days ahead of last year.

By Aug 11, the airport had handled 30.61 million passengers, up 4 percent year-on-year, including 3.02 million inbound and outbound passengers, a 10.1 percent increase.

Foreign arrivals exceeded 240,000 — accounting for 16.7 percent of inbound passengers and growing by over 20 percent, with most coming from South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand for tourism or business.

Benefiting from the visa-free policies, the airport has expanded services to destinations including Dubai, Doha and Almaty. It has enhanced its cross-terminal transfers, launched an International Service Center integrating payments, telecoms, customs and tourism assistance and introduced self-service instant tax refund kiosks.

International transfer passengers can also benefit from further streamlined visitor experiences and international transit services, including through-checked baggage, first-time traveler assistance, free showers and overnight rest areas.

Foreign student volunteers from Pakistan, Nigeria and Bangladesh among others are also assisting travelers in multiple languages, showing Hangzhou's global image.

A plane takes off from the north runway of Hangzhou International Airport. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]