Planes park at Hangzhou International Airport during the busy summer travel season. [Photo by Tan Shenjie/Tide News]

Hangzhou International Airport set new records for both daily passenger traffic and flight operations on Aug 2, handling 166,900 passengers and 1,036 flights, the highest numbers since the airport began operations in 2000.

The airport has maintained strong growth during the summer travel season, handling 4.93 million passengers so far, a year-on-year increase of 1.2 percent. Daily inbound and outbound passenger traffic has averaged nearly 150,000.

To meet rising demand for family trips and study tours, the airport has expanded capacity on popular domestic routes. Services to Xinjiang now connect eight cities with 190 weekly flights, while more wide-body aircraft have been deployed on routes to major cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu.

International services have also been strengthened with the launch of a new route to Busan, South Korea, and increased frequencies to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

From July 1 to Aug 2, the airport handled 443,000 inbound and outbound passengers. Nearly 60 percent of inbound foreign travelers entered China under unilateral, mutual or transit visa-free policies, reflecting the continued impact of the country's expanded visa-free measures.

The airport has also introduced a range of passenger-friendly services. Travelers on the Hangzhou-Shenzhen route can now change flights on any of nine participating airlines regardless of fare class. Meanwhile, eligible passengers on selected domestic routes may arrive at the boarding gate as late as 15 minutes before departure.

To further boost tourism, Hangzhou International Airport is working with local authorities to roll out travel incentive programs that combine airfare with discounted admission to major sporting events, concerts and other cultural attractions. By integrating flight-related benefits with local consumption incentives, the initiatives encourage visitors to extend their stay and explore more of the city while supporting tourism and local spending.

Families and students travel through the airport as demand for summer holidays and educational trips continues to grow. [Photo by Tan Shenjie/Tide News]