Ningbo Lishe International Airport. [Photo/Yongpai App]

Ningbo Lishe International Airport handled 3.06 million passenger trips and 21,000 flights during the 62-day summer travel season from July 1 to Aug 31.

Passenger traffic peaked at 56,672 on Aug 11, setting a new record for the summer travel period, with daily passenger throughput exceeding 50,000 on more than 40 days.

To meet the surge, the airport increased flights to popular domestic destinations including Dalian, Qingdao, Beijing, Xining, Yinchuan, and Guiyang, while resuming or adding seasonal direct services to Turpan, Anshun, Datong, Hailar, Liuzhou, and Huizhou. A direct route to Urumqi was also launched, with some services upgraded to wide-body aircraft.

International and regional connectivity also expanded, adding new direct passenger routes to Kaohsiung and Seoul that handled nearly 8,000 passenger trips during the summer.

Indonesia, Thailand, and South Korea became increasingly popular outbound destinations, while inbound travel from Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea rose 58.1 percent, 26.5 percent, and 25.6 percent year-on-year, respectively, boosted by China's visa-free and 240-hour visa-free transit policies.

The airport also provided enhanced services for unaccompanied minors, assisting 11,086 young passengers, up 38 percent year-on-year and a record for the summer travel season.