Tianjin Airport posts 41% increase in passenger traffic

By the end of June, Tianjin Airport had handled 1.73 million passengers, a hefty increase of 41 percent compared to the same period last year, exceeding the total throughput in 2004. The airport has maintained a rapid growth rate on passenger and cargo, and has led among domestic airports which handle over one million passengers a year. The key to this is the airport’s ability to strengthen market development, ease policies on airlines, and decongest scheduled flights and maximize route networks, which help in the development of the Binhai New Zone. In the first half of the year, eight new air routes were opened; four air routes were decongested and opened flights to five cities. At present, Tianjin Airport is handling 56 scheduled air routes, up by 30.2 percent compared to the same period last year. It currently handles 816 scheduled flights weekly, higher by 48.4 percent on a year-on-year basis. Six airlines have Tianjin Airport as base, including Grand China Express Airlines Co. and Xiamen Airlines. Twenty-two domestic and foreign airlines operate at Tianjin. According to estimates, the annual throughput goal at Tianjin Airport is 3.8 million passengers.