Sanya airport braces for 3.63m passenger trips this summer

The 2026 summer air travel season is set to take off on July 1 and will run 62 days — with Sanya Phoenix International Airport's managers predicting a hefty surge in travelers thanks to a strong mix of tourists, family vacations and international trips.

The airport — located outside the resort city of Sanya, in China's southernmost Hainan province — will accommodate 22,800 flights and handle some 3.63 million passenger trips throughout the summer, according to the prediction.

A Hainan Airlines plane takes off from Sanya Phoenix International Airport. [Photo/VCG]

To meet all the different travel needs of the summer rush, Sanya airport is working closely with major airlines, both domestic and international.

By ramping up the frequency of popular routes and switching to larger aircraft, it's aiming to maximize its capacity and route network.

Efforts are currently underway to increase flights to Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Urumqi, Fuzhou, Tianjin, Nanning, Zhuhai, Jieyang and Almaty, among other destinations.

Additionally, wide-body aircraft will be deployed in key markets to lift overall flight capacity.

According to the latest statistics, in the year to June 26 the airport recorded year-on-year growth of 1.4 percent in domestic flights and a 3.4 percent increase in total passenger throughput.

Meanwhile, international and regional flights saw a 29-percent rise in operations and a 35-percent boost in passenger volumes compared with last year.