The 2026 summer travel season began on July 1st and ended on August 31st. Currently, the summer travel season is drawing to a close, with passenger traffic remaining high in some popular travel provinces.

Railway passenger traffic surge

Convenient measures facilitate travel

During this year's summer travel season, the Shenyang Railway Bureau of China Railway transported an average of 700,000 passengers per day, with a total estimated passenger volume of 43.36 million and a peak of 867,000 passengers in a single day. The combined demand for family visits, travel to escape the summer heat, and other travel activities led to concentrated passenger flows in cities such as Shenyang, Dalian, Changbai Mountain, and Dandong. The Shenyang-Changbai Mountain High-Speed Railway experienced its first summer travel season since its opening, transporting 1.752 million passengers, reflecting a concentrated release of tourism travel demand.

To cope with the large passenger flow, Shenyang Railway Station completed its passenger service upgrade before the summer travel season. Security checks were moved from the second floor to the first floor and the subway transfer hall, eliminating long queues. The pre-security verification process was also eliminated, and a unified verification system was implemented, meaning passengers can enter the station with just their ID card, improving efficiency. Additionally, a new naked-eye 3D screen and 18 triangular vertical information screens were added to the waiting room, making it easier for passengers to quickly locate the ticket gates from all angles.

Airport passenger traffic remains high

Encryption, New Popular Routes

Similarly, passenger traffic at major airports in Liaoning Province remained high during the summer travel season. Taking Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport as an example, during the summer travel season, the airport had an average daily passenger flow of over 70,000 for 46 days. On August 20, the airport's single-day passenger flow reached 80,400, breaking the airport's historical record for average daily passenger flow.

Wu Menglu, deputy section chief of the Statistics and Analysis Office of the Marketing Department of Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, said that from July 1 to the present, Dalian Airport has completed 28,000 flight takeoffs and landings and 4.28 million passenger trips, far exceeding the level of the same period last year.

To ensure passengers' travel needs are met, airlines have increased the frequency of their routes to Dalian, with cities such as Chengdu, Guiyang, Hangzhou, Hefei, Xiamen, and Kunming adding more flights to and from Dalian. In addition, Dalian has launched its first route to Dali, Yunnan, with four flights per week.

Airport sets new records in multiple data points

Guangzhou New Terminal Ensures Capacity

This year marks the first summer travel season since the opening of Guangzhou Baiyun Airport's Terminal 3 and fifth runway. What changes have the new building and runway brought?

This summer travel season saw a surge in tourism, family travel, and study tours, keeping Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport operating at high capacity. The opening of Terminal 3 further boosted passenger numbers; on August 15th, the airport handled 1,909 flights and 309,000 passengers, both record highs. Despite this high volume of operations, the airport was hit by multiple extreme weather events, including typhoons Maysak and Bavi. Baiyun Airport activated its coordinated operation mechanism, scientifically adjusted flight schedules, and increased flood prevention patrols in key areas such as the terminal and apron, maintaining a high on-time departure rate throughout the summer travel season.

This summer travel season, demand for routes catering to those seeking respite from the heat is booming. Airlines have launched new routes from their Guangzhou hubs to popular destinations such as Xining, Hailar, and Altay, while internationally, they have added several routes from Guangzhou to London, Moscow, and Nairobi, among others, to ensure smooth travel for passengers. Meanwhile, the number of unaccompanied minors traveling has reached a new high.

Gong Xiaojia, a staff member of the Ground Service Support Department of China Southern Airlines, introduced that the number of unaccompanied minors traveling this summer vacation has reached a record high, with 661 unaccompanied minors departing on domestic flights in a single day. To increase the visibility of young passengers, additional vests for unaccompanied minors have been added, travel data for unaccompanied minors is checked in advance, and the opening of check-in counters for unaccompanied minors is dynamically adjusted.

Study tours are in high demand

Railway student travel increased by 44.6% year-on-year.

Regarding railways, student passenger traffic saw a significant increase during the summer vacation, rising by 44.6% year-on-year. Since the start of the summer travel season, the Guangzhou Railway Bureau of China Railway has organized 155 group passenger trips for students, totaling 29,000 passengers, with destinations mainly covering Beijing, Changsha, Guiyang, Fuzhou, Lanzhou, and other cities.

In addition, to cater to passengers' personalized travel needs, the railway launched the "Overseas Chinese Seafood" multi-trip ticket on August 8th. The multi-trip ticket covers 14 stations including Guangzhou Station, Shenzhen North, Foshan, Jiangmen, and Maoming, providing a single ticket that connects the western Guangdong coastal cultural tourism corridor, bringing a surge in popularity to railway passenger transport during the summer.

The new hub faces its first major test.

Passenger traffic on the new high-speed rail line is rising.

In response to the large passenger flow during the summer travel season, Shaanxi's railway and civil aviation sectors have increased transportation capacity and refined and upgraded convenient services.

As of August 27, during this year's summer travel season, the Xi'an Railway Bureau of China Railway had transported a total of 28.188 million passengers. As a newly opened major passenger hub, Xi'an East Railway Station faced its first major test of passenger flow during the summer. As of August 27, the station had transported a total of 1.329 million passengers, with 84.5 pairs of regular passenger trains operating, covering 45 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

The newly opened Xi'an-Yan'an High-Speed Railway and Xi'an-Shiyan High-Speed Railway have both faced their first summer travel season since opening. These two new high-speed railways have respectively opened up rapid travel channels from Guanzhong to northern Shaanxi and from Northwest China to Central China, leading to a significant increase in tourism and cultural travel along the routes. Many tourists have chosen to take the high-speed rail to visit places like Yan'an. As of August 28, Yan'an Station had handled a total of 965,000 passengers during the summer travel season.

During the summer travel season, the opening of the Xi'an North Railway Station's air-rail intermodal passenger service center has made connecting travel more convenient. Passengers can complete all boarding procedures at the high-speed rail station in one stop, including flight information consultation, domestic flight check-in, and baggage check-in. After arriving at the airport, they can go directly through security and board the plane, achieving a seamless air-rail transfer.

Civil aviation passenger traffic is growing steadily.

Supporting services are continuously being optimized.

In the civil aviation sector, as of August 27, Xi'an Xianyang International Airport handled 59,000 flights and transported 8.8 million passengers during the summer travel season. With the rise in tourism and cultural activities, travel demand from foreign passengers has increased. The airport has also continuously upgraded its services, launching the Shaanxi Inbound Passenger Comprehensive Service Platform to provide international travelers with services such as travel information, foreign currency exchange, and mobile payment guidance. (Source: CCTV Finance)