April Operations of Listed Airports: High International Growth, Divergence in Cargo Transport, and Regional Restructuring
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With the continued recovery of domestic economic activity and the ongoing expansion of international route networks, China's civil aviation industry is experiencing a structural recovery. Operational data for April 2026 from the six major listed airports in China-Baiyun Airport, Capital Airport, Shanghai Airport, Shenzhen Airport, Hainan Airport, and Xiamen Airport-shows a clear trend of international routes outperforming domestic routes and the south outperforming the north. Specifically, Hainan Airport saw a surge of 29.52% year-on-year in international passenger throughput, while Baiyun Airport experienced a 17.04% increase in international passenger volume.
Baiyun Airport: Leading the Way with 17% Growth in International Routes, Cargo and Mail Structure Continues to Optimize
In April 2026, Baiyun Airport achieved a passenger throughput of 7.1258 million, a year-on-year increase of 6.94%, maintaining its leading position among domestic airports; 46,151 aircraft movements, a year-on-year increase of 4.01%; and 200,800 tons of cargo and mail, a slight year-on-year increase of 0.76%. Notably, its international routes performed exceptionally well, with passenger throughput reaching 1.6004 million, a significant year-on-year increase of 17.04%, far exceeding the 3.93% growth rate of domestic routes.
The rapid growth in international passenger traffic at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is primarily attributed to its continuously optimized international route network in recent years. As one of China's three major aviation hubs, Baiyun Airport has opened routes to over 220 destinations worldwide, including more than 90 international and regional destinations. This year, several domestic and international airlines have added or increased the frequency of routes to Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia through Baiyun Airport. Coupled with the boost from business exhibitions such as the Canton Fair in April, the significant year-on-year increase in international passenger traffic became the biggest highlight of the month.
Regarding cargo and mail, Baiyun Airport showed a divergent trend: international traffic increased while domestic traffic decreased. International cargo and mail throughput increased by 5.95% year-on-year to 131,500 tons, while domestic cargo and mail throughput decreased by 7.68% year-on-year to 63,300 tons. This phenomenon reflects that against the backdrop of global supply chain adjustments, foreign trade demand in South China remains resilient, while the growth rate of domestic consumer logistics demand has slowed.
Beijing Capital International Airport: Steady Growth Continues, International Route Recovery Still Faces Pressure
Beijing Capital International Airport handled 6.0513 million passengers in April, a year-on-year increase of 5.3%; 36,241 aircraft movements, a year-on-year increase of 1.3%; and 128,500 tons of cargo and mail, a year-on-year increase of 3.0%. The cumulative passenger throughput for the first four months reached approximately 24.331 million, a year-on-year increase of 8.3%, demonstrating a continued steady recovery.
April's operating data for Beijing Capital International Airport showed a stronger performance for international routes than domestic routes. International passenger throughput increased by 9.3% year-on-year to 1.3105 million, higher than the 4.3% growth rate of domestic routes; however, international aircraft movements still decreased by 2.7% year-on-year, reflecting an increase in the proportion of large wide-body aircraft and improved passenger carrying capacity per flight.
As China's aviation gateway, Beijing Capital International Airport's cumulative passenger throughput for the first four months reached 24.331 million, a year-on-year increase of 8.3%, higher than the monthly growth rate, demonstrating a continued recovery trend since the first quarter. Cargo and mail throughput increased by 5.3% cumulatively, slightly higher than the monthly growth rate, reflecting a gradual recovery in air logistics demand.
Shanghai Airports: Pudong Airport's cargo and mail throughput grew by 15.38%, setting a new record; Hongqiao Airport's passenger throughput exceeded 4.24 million.
In April, Pudong and Hongqiao airports combined achieved a passenger throughput of 11.3246 million, a year-on-year increase of 3.05%; aircraft takeoffs and landings totaled 69,271, a year-on-year increase of 1.27%; and cargo and mail throughput reached 417,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 15.10%. Among them, Pudong Airport's cargo and mail throughput saw a significant year-on-year increase of 15.38%, while Hongqiao Airport's passenger throughput exceeded 4.24 million, both setting new monthly highs since the pandemic.
The strong growth in cargo and mail throughput at Pudong Airport was the biggest highlight of Shanghai airports' operations in April. International cargo and mail throughput reached 313,500 tons, a year-on-year increase of 17.57%, demonstrating Shanghai's further consolidation as a global air cargo hub. This growth mainly benefited from the continued prosperity of cross-border e-commerce, export demand from high-end manufacturing, and the recovery and improvement of the international air logistics network. The rapid development of high-end manufacturing industries such as integrated circuits and biomedicine in the Yangtze River Delta region, in particular, has provided stable demand support for air freight.
Hongqiao Airport maintained its leading position in domestic routes, with passenger throughput reaching 4.2403 million in the month, a year-on-year increase of 2.92%. Domestic passenger throughput reached 3.9308 million, a year-on-year increase of 2.46%, continuing its steady growth. It is worth noting that although Hongqiao Airport's international passenger throughput was relatively small, its year-on-year growth reached 12.76%, reflecting a moderate adjustment in the positioning of Shanghai's two airports: Pudong International Airport (international) and Hongqiao International Airport (domestic), with Hongqiao Airport's international function gradually strengthening.
The two major airports in Shanghai exhibit a clear differentiated development trend: Pudong Airport's international routes account for 82.8% of its cargo and mail traffic, highlighting its status as an international cargo hub; Hongqiao Airport's domestic routes account for 92.7% of its passenger traffic, reflecting its function as a domestic trunk airport. This model of one city, two airports, and differentiated development has effectively enhanced the overall competitiveness of Shanghai's aviation hub.
Shenzhen Airport: All Three Key Indicators Show Growth, Regional Routes Grow by 8.23%
Shenzhen Airport achieved a passenger throughput of 5.4651 million in April, a year-on-year increase of 2.72%; cargo and mail throughput of 169,800 tons, a year-on-year increase of 1.55%; and 36,770 flight takeoffs and landings, a year-on-year increase of 2.31%. All three core indicators achieved positive year-on-year growth, demonstrating Shenzhen Airport's steady recovery.
Regional routes performed particularly well in Shenzhen Airport's April operating data, with passenger throughput increasing by 8.23% year-on-year to 46,300, and a cumulative increase of 18.90%. This data reflects the continued strong demand for cross-border travel within the Shenzhen-Hong Kong and Zhuhai-Macau Greater Bay Area. With the improvement of transportation infrastructure such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge, Shenzhen Airport's position as a core hub in the Greater Bay Area has been further consolidated.
Regarding cargo and mail, Shenzhen Airport showed a trend of domestic growth and international decline. Domestic cargo and mail throughput increased by 4.58% year-on-year to 82,900 tons, while international cargo and mail throughput decreased by 1.27% to 81,400 tons. This phenomenon contrasts sharply with Baiyun Airport, reflecting Shenzhen's strong domestic supply chain logistics demand as a major hub for the electronics and information industry, while its international cargo faces fierce competition from surrounding hub airports.
Cumulative data shows that Shenzhen Airport's passenger throughput reached 22.9865 million in the first four months, a year-on-year increase of 5.09%, higher than the monthly growth rate, demonstrating a continued recovery trend since the first quarter. International routes saw a cumulative passenger throughput of 1.991 million, a year-on-year increase of 5.58%, also higher than the monthly growth rate, indicating that the recovery of international routes is accelerating.
Hainan Airport: Explosive Growth in International Business, Passenger Throughput Exceeds 4.19 Million
Hainan Airport achieved a passenger throughput of 4.1965 million in the month, a year-on-year increase of 4.77%; 28,819 takeoffs and landings, a year-on-year increase of 4.63%; and cargo and mail throughput of 35,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 8.56%. Notably, its international routes performed remarkably well, with passenger throughput surging by 29.52% year-on-year, and international cargo and mail throughput more than doubling by 100.82%.
The explosive growth of international business at Hainan Airport is mainly attributed to the continued release of policy dividends from the Hainan Free Trade Port and the rapid recovery of the international tourism market. Data shows that in April, the three airports on Hainan Island (Haikou Meilan, Sanya Phoenix, and Qionghai Bo'ao) handled 207,200 international passengers, a year-on-year increase of 30.22%; and 1,508 international takeoffs and landings, a year-on-year increase of 32.63%. With the further relaxation of Hainan's visa-free policy and the continued increase in the frequency of international routes, Hainan is becoming one of China's most dynamic international tourist destinations.
Particularly noteworthy is the doubling of international cargo and mail throughput at Hainan Airport. In April, international cargo and mail throughput reached 4,370 tons, a year-on-year increase of 100.82%, with a cumulative increase of 89.88%. This data reflects the rapid development of the Hainan Free Trade Port in areas such as cross-border e-commerce and international logistics. With the improvement of infrastructure such as the Yangpu International Cold Chain Logistics Center and the Haikou Comprehensive Bonded Zone, Hainan is gradually forming an air logistics hub facing Southeast Asia. Hainan Airport's business scope encompasses its seven wholly-owned airports and two managed airports, forming an airport network covering the entire Hainan province and radiating across the country. Among them, Haikou Meilan and Sanya Phoenix airports contribute the vast majority of business volume, becoming important pillars of Hainan's tourism economy.
Xiamen Airport: All Three Indicators Decline
Xiamen Airport achieved a passenger throughput of 2.3147 million in April, a year-on-year decrease of 3.08%; aircraft takeoffs and landings of 15,845, a year-on-year decrease of 3.60%; and cargo and mail throughput of 29,300 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 6.93%. All three core indicators declined.
Xiamen Airport's April operating data showed a divergence between weak domestic and strong international routes. Domestic passenger throughput decreased by 4.82% year-on-year to 1.929 million, becoming the main factor dragging down overall passenger volume; while international passenger throughput increased by 6.71% year-on-year to 385,700, indicating a recovery trend in international and regional routes. Among them, regional routes saw a particularly strong performance, with passenger throughput reaching 73,700, a year-on-year increase of 11.29%.
Cargo and mail services, however, faced significant pressure, especially international routes, where cargo and mail throughput declined by 16.33% year-on-year to 13,000 tons, becoming the main reason for the overall decline in cargo and mail volume. Xiamen Airport faces challenges due to the limited economic size of its hinterland, the difficulty in developing international routes, and the diversion of passengers to neighboring cities like Fuzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. The physical capacity limitations of Xiamen Gaoqi Airport have also become a bottleneck.
Based on the April operating data of the six major listed airports, China's civil aviation industry is showing the following significant trends:
First, the recovery of international routes has become the core growth engine. The average growth rate of international passenger throughput at the six major airports reached 12.5%, far exceeding the 3.5% of domestic routes, becoming the main driving force for industry growth. Hainan Airport led the way with a growth rate of 29.52%, followed by Baiyun Airport (17.04%) and Capital Airport (9.3%). This phenomenon reflects the rapid release of demand in the international aviation market as cross-border tourism and business activities fully recover. It is worth noting that the recovery of international routes exhibits a clear south-strong, north-weak characteristic. Southern airports (Baiyun, Shenzhen, and Hainan) generally saw higher growth rates in international passengers than northern airports (Capital and Shanghai), reflecting the locational advantages of South China. In particular, the continued release of policy dividends from the Hainan Free Trade Port has become a significant factor driving the growth of international routes.
Secondly, the cargo market shows structural differentiation. The average growth rate of cargo and mail throughput at the six major airports was 4.2%, but there were significant internal differences. Shanghai Pudong (15.38%) and Hainan (8.56%) performed exceptionally well, while Xiamen (-6.93%) showed weak growth. This differentiation reflects the profound changes the air cargo market is undergoing against the backdrop of global supply chain adjustments. Pudong Airport, with its well-developed international route network and transit capabilities, maintains a leading position in high-end manufacturing and cross-border e-commerce; Hainan, relying on the advantages of the Free Trade Port policy, has achieved breakthroughs in international cold chain logistics and bonded warehousing; while traditional foreign trade ports like Xiamen face pressure to transform and upgrade. In the future, competition in the air cargo market will intensify, and the differentiation among hub airports may further increase.
Finally, the regional aviation market landscape is undergoing rapid restructuring. In terms of passenger throughput, the six major listed airports are ranked as follows: Baiyun Airport (7.1258 million passengers), Pudong Airport (7.0843 million passengers), Capital Airport (6.0513 million passengers), Shenzhen Airport (5.4651 million passengers), Hongqiao Airport (4.2403 million passengers), Hainan Airport (4.1965 million passengers), and Xiamen Airport (2.3147 million passengers). However, in terms of growth rate, Hainan Airport (4.77%), Capital Airport (5.3%), and Baiyun Airport (6.94%) showed stronger performance, indicating a shift in the regional aviation market landscape. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Yangtze River Delta region continue to maintain aviation market vitality, while the Hainan Free Trade Port has become a new growth engine. In contrast, some traditional hub airports face growth bottlenecks and need to find new growth points through route network optimization and service quality improvement.
