6.25 Million Travelers Forecast at Chongqing Airport With Expanding Asian Routes and Moscow Flights

Chongqing - China’s annual Spring Festival travel rush, known as Chunyun, began on Feb. 2, marking the start of the busiest period of the year for civil aviation. Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport said it is preparing for record passenger volumes during the 40-day travel peak.

Airport authorities estimate that more than 6.25 million passenger trips will be handled during Chunyun, alongside over 40,000 aircraft takeoffs and landings. Average daily passenger throughput is expected to exceed 160,000, with peak days potentially surpassing 170,000 travelers, according to preliminary data released by the airport.

To meet rising demand, 15 airlines, including Air China, Hainan Airlines, Chongqing Airlines, West Air, and China Express Airlines, have collectively scheduled more than 2,000 additional flights operating to and from Chongqing during the travel season.

On domestic routes, increased capacity is focused on two main areas. Flights to China's largest cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, have been significantly expanded. Daily services from Chongqing will rise to 34 flights to Beijing, 32 to Shanghai and 28 to Guangzhou.

Airlines are also adding capacity to popular tourist destinations. Daily flights to Haikou will increase to 16, while services to Shenyang will reach 15. Routes to Xishuangbanna will operate up to eight times daily, with additional frequencies introduced to destinations such as Urumqi and Dali, providing travelers with greater flexibility.

International and regional routes are also seeing notable growth, particularly to Southeast Asia. Hainan Airlines has increased its Chongqing-Bangkok service to daily flights starting January 12. From February, Chongqing Airlines will launch new routes to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Penang, bringing the total number of daily Chongqing–Bangkok flights to 6.

Air China has expanded services on the Chongqing–Seoul route to daily flights and doubled Chongqing–Singapore frequencies to two per day, bringing total daily services to potentially five. Tianjin Airlines plans to increase Chongqing–Moscow flights to twice weekly starting March 1.

Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport currently operates 38 international and regional passenger routes, with around 240 flights per week, connecting the city to destinations including Seattle, London, Paris, Rome, Budapest, Dubai, Singapore, and Seoul.

Airport authorities advised passengers to arrive early during peak travel days. Travelers using Terminal 3 were encouraged to check in at the B1 level near Exit Level of Chongqing Rail Transit Line 10, where queues are typically shorter. The airport has also expanded free overnight rest areas within Terminal 3, offering reclining space, charging facilities, and drinking water, with limited daytime recreational services available near domestic arrivals.