Passengers are seen in Nanjing Lukou International Airport, decorated for the Spring Festival celebration. (CFP Photo)

Jiangsu's passenger trips through nine airports totaled approximately 1.56 million during the Spring Festival holiday from February 10 to 17, marking a 63% increase from 2023, according to the province’s Department of Transport on February 19.

These airports handled a total of 11,000 flights, setting multiple records. For instance, Nanjing Lukou International Airport saw over 100,000 passenger trips for three consecutive days. Notably, flights departing from Lianyungang Airport achieved an average daily occupancy rate of 90.3%, a historic high.

To accommodate the holiday travel surge, Jiangsu’s airports cooperated closely with airlines to increase passenger capacity, open new routes, and expand flights to popular tourist destinations.

Notably, Nanjing Lukou International Airport added flights to 15 new cities, with oversea passenger trips recovering to 70% of the 2019 holiday period level. Passenger volumes to destinations including Singapore, Macao, Seoul, Jeju Island, Tokyo, Sydney, and Taiwan exceed 2019 levels.