Ningbo airport gears up for Spring Festival travel season

The terminal of the Ningbo Lishe International Airport. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

Ningbo Lishe International Airport started the Spring Festival travel rush on Jan 14, expecting to handle around 13,000 flights and transport approximately 1.86 million passengers over the 40-day period. This marks a 5.3-percent increase in flights and a 9.7-percent rise in passenger numbers compared to the previous year.

The first surge in travel demand is expected to occur five days before Chinese New Year's Eve, which falls on Jan 18, with a slight dip around the eve itself.

Following this, a second wave of travel for family visits and tourism will begin on the second day of Chinese New Year, expected to last about 10 days. The peak day is forecasted to be Feb 3, with a projected single-day passenger volume of 54,000.

In response to the high demand, Ningbo airport is increasing the frequency of flights on popular domestic routes such as Guangzhou, Chongqing, Guiyang, Kunming, and Shenzhen. Flights to Guangzhou are planned to exceed 100 per week, with more than 10 daily flights to Beijing and at least eight daily flights to Shenzhen, Guiyang, and Kunming.

For international flights, the airport has already launched a new route to Phnom Penh and plans to introduce scheduled flights to Singapore, Sabah, and Kuala Lumpur, as well as extra flights to Phuket and Bangkok.

Ningbo airport anticipates handling 265 additional flights during this period, continually coordinating with airlines to adjust schedules based on market demand. The goal is to ensure a smooth and efficient travel experience for all passengers during Spring Festival.