In the first half of this year, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport served a total of 1.8 million international and regional passengers, a year-on-year increase of 15 percent, ranking 10th among all Chinese airports.

International passenger volume accounted for 14 percent of the airport's total throughput, up 1.4 percentage points, placing Qingdao fifth among Chinese airports with over 10 million passengers a year.

During this year's summer travel rush from July 1 to Aug 31, the airport is operating 29 international and regional passenger routes, served by 16 airlines.

South Korea remains the core market, with passenger flights and volume up 6 percent and 18 percent, respectively, maintaining a strong 86 percent load factor.

Southeast Asian routes are rapidly emerging as new growth engines. Leveraging deeper China-ASEAN cooperation and visa-free policies, Qingdao has launched or increased the number of direct flights to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang.

The airport also operates four intercontinental routes to Melbourne, Sydney, Moscow, and London — all exclusive to Shandong province — carrying a total of 97,000 passengers in the first half of 2026.

Meanwhile, Qingdao is accelerating its air-rail intermodal network, with city terminals in Weifang, Rizhao, Linyi, and Jiaozhou. In the first half, air-rail transfer passengers reached 705,000, up 16 percent year-on-year.

Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport strengthens its role as a regional aviation hub, connecting Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and beyond with growing international traffic. [Photo/Guanhai News]