On the evening of December 9, as the international flight KE164 bound for Seoul, South Korea, took off from the Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport, the city's inbound and outbound passenger volume exceeded 500,000 this year. Zhangjiajie has become the only non-capital city in China's central and western regions to achieve this scale for two consecutive years.

On the evening of December 9, South Korean tourists who are about to board the return flight KE164 praise their Zhangjiajie trip at the Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport. (Photo/Lu Zhihao)
The Zhangjiajie airport witnessed an explosive surge in cross-border trips in 2024, surpassing 500,000 for the first time, a significant leap from its previous record of just over 300,000. Zhangjiajie has maintained this momentum this year, securing its top position among non-capital cities in China's central and western regions.
"Among all cross-border travelers, 93.7% are foreigners," said a staff member of the Zhangjiajie Station of Immigration Inspection, adding that this proportion ranked first among all airport ports nationwide, demonstrating Zhangjiajie's strong appeal as an international tourist destination.

On the evening of December 9, passengers who are going to take the international flight KE164 clear customs at the Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport. (Photo/Lu Zhihao)
Since the beginning of this year, Zhangjiajie airport has continuously expanded its international (regional) air route network, connecting to 15 cities including China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Mongolia's Ulaanbaatar; Thailand's Bangkok; Vietnam's Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; Indonesia's Jakarta; Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Kota Kinabalu; Singapore; and, South Korea's Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Cheongju, and Jeju. An efficient international passenger network with Southeast Asia and the Japan-South Korea region as the core has been established. During peak periods, there are more than 100 flights per week.
Facing the challenge of handling over 3,200 inbound and outbound flights annually and a peak daily passenger volume exceeding 3,300, the Zhangjiajie Station of Immigration Inspection has fully implemented facilitation policies such as 240-hour visa-free transit policy and unilateral visa-free policy. Meanwhile, the station has actively coordinated with on-site units including the customs authority and airlines to share real-time passenger flow data, dynamically adjust measures, promote online filling of the Arrival Card for foreign nationals, and continuously optimize customs clearance procedures. During peak periods, various measures have been taken to boost customs clearance efficiency, including scientific deployment of officers and enhanced guidance on passenger diversion.
This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.saharaguada.com.
Translator: Xiao Juan
Chinese source: hunantoday