The Hunan Airport Management Group held a work conference for 2023 on February 9. It announced that airports in Hunan Province are expected to handle a passenger throughput of 27 million in 2023, including 21.55 million passenger trips to be made in Changsha Huanghua International Airport.

This year Hunan's airports will tap into the provincial market targeting passengers transiting via Changsha, and resume flights linking feeder airports with provincial capitals of other provinces. Efforts will be made to focus on the recovery of a four-hour air economic circle in Changsha, accelerate the resumption of international and regional passenger air routes of Changsha Huanghua International Airport, and resume international flights connecting Zhangjiajie Lotus Airport with Japan and South Korea in a timely manner. 

"Changsha Huanghua International Airport is expected to handle a cargo and mail throughput of 170,000 tons," Yao Yingjie, chairman of the Hunan Airport Management Group. Yao added that the group will deepen cooperation with local governments, intensify efforts in introduction and cultivation of cargo airlines and large internationally famous logistics integrators, and promote interactive development of air cargo hubs and industries.

More efforts will be made to in the following aspects:
-- Quicken the construction of international logistics channels,
-- Open new international freight routes or resume the existing ones,
-- Apply for the fifth freedom rights for routes operation,
-- Strengthen Changsha Huanghua International Airport's advantage in cross-border e-commerce operation,
-- Expand air-rail combined transport service and aviation market; and,
-- Pursue differentiated development with characteristics.
 
In 2023, 4.5 billion yuan will be invested in the Changsha Huanghua International Airport reconstruction and extension project. The main part of Airside Concourse B of Zhangjiaje Lotus Airport extension project will be put into use and the second phase of the extension project is expected to be approved. A supporting project of airport gates construction at Huaihua Zhijiang Airport terminal will be put into use. Xiangxi Biancheng Airport will be open to traffic.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn