As of June 3, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport's passenger traffic to Northeast Asia surpassed 1 million, reaching this milestone 12 days earlier than last year, underscoring the airport's growing status as a key gateway. Benefits from visa-free policies, network optimization, and improved services have accelerated its key international markets.

Passenger traffic between Qingdao and South Korea reached 868,000 with 5,707 flights, accounting for 63 percent and 60 percent of the airport's total international passenger and flight volume, respectively. This represents a 21.5 percent increase in passengers and a 9.5 percent increase in flights year-on-year. The load factor also rose by 8.3 percentage points.

The Qingdao-Seoul route ranks second in China for both flight frequency and passenger volume, with 32 daily round trips offering "bus-style" connectivity. T'Way Air plans to add more flights in July. The Qingdao-Busan route maintains four daily round trips, a 19.4 percent increase, while the Daegu route, launched in late 2025, further diversifies the South Korea network.

Visa-free access has boosted inbound travel. From January to May this year, total inbound passengers on South Korea routes grew 24 percent year-over-year, with South Korean nationals increasing by 35 percent. Nine out of 10 South Korean travelers entered visa-free.

To improve transfer efficiency, Qingdao's airport has streamlined customs and transit procedures for flights from 42 domestic destinations to 12 overseas points, including Japan and South Korea. The 24-hour visa-free transit policy now facilitates connections from Southeast Asian cities to Northeast Asia. As a result, international transfer passengers increased by 24 percent in the first five months of this year.

Looking ahead, Qingdao's airport will continue to strengthen its Northeast Asia hub role by expanding international routes, improving port coordination, enhancing aviation services, and promoting aviation-tourism integration, contributing to the city's high-level opening-up.

With visa-free travel and expanded routes, South Korea passenger traffic surges 21.5 percent at Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport as the gateway strengthens its Northeast Asia hub role. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]