An Indian passenger (L) asks about WeChat Pay, one of China's major mobile payment platforms, at Terminal 2 of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 3, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, a major air hub in south China's Guangdong Province, has handled over 10 million inbound and outbound trips this year as of Wednesday, according to local border authorities.

This milestone was achieved 41 days earlier than it was in 2024. Foreign nationals made up more than 3.82 million of these trips, surging 37.4 percent year on year, with their share of total passenger volume ranking first among China's major airports.

The surge in growth has largely been driven by robust route expansion, with 18 new or resumed regular international passenger routes added this year. The airport now operates around 75 international passenger flight routes and 46 cargo routes weekly.

Immigration data showed that nearly half of all arriving foreigners, totaling over 760,000 visits, benefited from China's visa-free entry so far this year, marking a 123.5 percent year-on-year surge.

With China's expanding visa-free policies and the peak summer travel season, Baiyun authorities anticipate sustained high passenger volumes. The border inspection station plans to streamline processes through paperless clearance and multilingual services to transform passenger "flow" into economic "growth".