In 2025, Yichang Sanxia International Airport operated 28,700 flights and handled 3.41 million passengers in total, including 123,000 international arrivals and departures. These three core indicators saw year-on-year growth of 6%, 10.8% and 15.6% respectively, all reaching record highs. This performance reaffirmsthe airport’s position as the leading aviation hub among prefecture-level cities across the six provinces of Central China, solidifying its status as the region’s largest international airport.

　　From a mere flight stopover in 1930 to its official opening in 1996 and its designation as an international airport in 2024, the evolution of Yichang’s aviation sector offers a vivid microcosm of the opening-up process of China’s inland cities. Surpassing the 3.41 million passenger milestone marks Yichang’s transformation from simply “taking off” to truly connecting with the world, evolving from “going global” to “welcoming the world in.” (Sanxia Daily: Reporter/Tian Dongming, Correspondent/Wang Tingting)