Wuhan Tianhe International Airport received its three-millionth international passenger of the year on Nov 18, marking new progress in the airport’s development, according to a report in the Changjiang Daily.
The airport is one of eight regional pivotal airports in China, a national first-class civil airport and the biggest aircraft maintenance base and a 4F airport in central China.
The airport is the busiest airport in central China, handling 2.92 million international passengers in 2018. Officials said the airport gets a high rating of 4.45 for passenger satisfaction from Airports Council International, which puts it in the top 100 airports in the world.
This year, the airport has operated more than 18,000 international flights, an increase of 12 percent compared with the same period last year. The number of international passengers saw a year-on-year increase of 14 percent.
From January to October, there were more than 421,000 international passengers transiting at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, an increase of 101.2 percent over the same period last year.
To date the airport has opened 63 international air routes, linking Wuhan city with 23 countries, regions and cities, achieving full coverage on five continents.
According to staff members of the immigration inspection unit at the border port, on the basis of the 24-hour transit visa exemption for foreign passengers at the Wuhan Airport Port, the 144-hour visa-free transit policy implemented on Jan 1 this year also attracted a large number of international passengers.
With valid international travel documents and tickets to a third country within 144 hours, foreigners can enjoy visa-free access to Wuhan and stay for up to 144 hours.
That’s increased the visa-free period from 72 hours in 2013 to 144 hours, providing more convenience for foreigners to enter and leave Wuhan for short-term tourism or business visits, officials said.
To date, more than 25,300 passengers have enjoyed the 24-hour and 144-hour transit visa-free policy in Wuhan.
A view of the check-in counters in the Terminal 3 building at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province. [Photo/IC]
