Chongqing - Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport recently crossed a major threshold, handling more than 50 million passengers for the first time and earning a place in the global “50-million-passenger club” — a benchmark widely used in the aviation industry to define top-tier international hubs.

A passenger poses for a photo with the airport's mascot while holding a commemorative boarding pass at a celebration event on December 31, 2025. (Photo/Zheng Ran)

The passenger milestone followed another record earlier this year, when the airport’s annual cargo and mail throughput exceeded 500,000 tons, reflecting parallel growth in both passenger and freight operations at a major aviation gateway in western China.

Among travelers passing through the airport on December 31 was Marcus Goh Jun Lin, a visitor from Singapore, who said he was traveling in China for the first time with his mother. Goh described Chongqing as very popular among Singaporean tourists and said access to China had become noticeably easier. He added that the city felt futuristic, citing widespread digital payment systems that differed from everyday payment habits in Singapore.

Passengers use a self-service check-in kiosk at the departure level of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport. (Photo/Zheng Ran)

Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport is the first facility in central and western China capable of operating four runways simultaneously, a capacity that authorities say has underpinned its rapid expansion. By 2025, the airport had completed a new operational configuration comprising three passenger terminals, one satellite hall, and four runways. Its total terminal floor area has now exceeded one million square meters, with a designed annual capacity of 80 million passengers, 1.2 million tons of cargo and mail, and 580,000 aircraft movements.

Route expansion has played a central role in passenger growth. In 2025, the airport operated 38 international and regional passenger routes, with about 200 flights per week, connecting Chongqing to destinations across Europe, Oceania, the Middle East, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.

Several routes were newly launched or restored during the year, including services to Brussels, Auckland, and Tokyo, while frequencies were increased on routes to Madrid, Seoul, and Bangkok. On December 8, a direct passenger route between Chongqing and Yangon, Myanmar, was launched, completing air connectivity with countries covered by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a large Asia-Pacific free trade agreement.

According to airport data, international and regional passenger traffic rose 28.99% year on year in 2025, the highest growth rate among China's top ten airports. The number of inbound foreign travelers nearly doubled, increasing by 99.7%, while transfer coverage on intercontinental routes reached 100%.

Passenger services have also been upgraded. Airport officials said Terminal 3B offers full self-service check-in, biometric security screening, and facial recognition boarding, along with amenities such as wireless charging and rest areas. A fully automated, driverless monorail system links the terminals, Terminal 3A and 3B, in approximately 3 minutes.

An arrival services center launched in May 2025 integrates payment assistance, telecommunications, transportation, and tourism information, aiming to support Chongqing's development as an international consumption and tourism destination.

Chongqing-themed cultural and creative products are displayed for sale at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport. (Photo/Zheng Ran)