International Route Debut Flight Ceremony of Yichang Aviation Port after its expansion (Reporter Fu Beibei, Photo by Wang Tingting)

　　On September 20th, the International Route Debut Flight Ceremony of Yichang Aviation Port took place at the T1 International Terminal of Yichang Sanxia Airport, marking the official resumption of international passenger services at Yichang Sanxia Airport.

　　The debut flight, Dalian-Yichang-Bangkok route, operated by Qingdao Airlines using the A320 aircraft, carried 142 passengers on its first journey to Bangkok, achieving a seat occupancy rate of 78.88%. This new flight route connects the cities of Dalian, Yichang, and Bangkok, allowing passengers from both Dalian and Yichang to complete immigration and customs procedures at San Xia Airport. The launch of the Dalian-Yichang-Bangkok route is expected to significantly boost tourism between these “two countries and three cities.”

　　T1 International Terminal includes all processes for international departures and arrivals, and it has expanded the number of international apron positions from 1 to 4, capable of accommodating an annual international passenger throughput of 500,000 people.

　　Yichang Sanxia Airport is a first-class national aviation port. Since its opening in 1996, it has established 69 domestic routes and 16 international and regional routes, making it an essential regional airport serving areas like western Hubei, western Hunan, and eastern Chongqing. In July 2023, the expansion and opening of the aviation port at Sanxia Airport passed the national port inspection. In the future, it plans to launch routes to countries such as Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, South Korea, as well as Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR). (Reporter/Wang Ge, Correspondents/Wang Tingting & Li Duanxin)