China's Xinjiang Airport Group logged record passenger and cargo traffic in 2024, serving around 48.5 million passengers and completing 302,000 tons of cargo and postal throughput in its 27 airports.
Passenger and cargo traffic grew by 18.4 percent and 47.5 percent, respectively, while the total number of flight takeoffs and landings reached 563,000, up 14.7 percent from the previous year.
Urumqi Diwopu International Airport, located in the capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, further optimized its route network in 2024, and handled about 27.77 million passenger trips, marking a 10.7 percent year-on-year increase.
Cargo throughput surged by 52.1 percent, reaching 235,900 tons, while flight operations rose by 6.8 percent, totaling 188,700 takeoffs and landings.
The airport now operates 240 regular passenger and cargo routes.
"Passenger trips by international travelers and those by travelers from China's Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan reached 564,200, marking a 97.5 percent year-on-year increase. Additionally, the number of cargo routes expanded to 25 cities across 18 countries, marking a remarkable 569.4 percent rise," said Jiang Yumeng, a staff member at the transportation hub construction center of the marketing and service committee of Xinjiang Airport Group.
In 2024, Kashi Laining International Airport, Yarkant (Shache) Airport, and Tashkurgan Khunjerab Airport, managed by the Kashi branch of Xinjiang Airport Group, also achieved record passenger traffic. As of Nov 12, 2024, Kashi Airport's annual passenger trips exceeded four million for the first time.
"Kashi Airport offers direct flights for those traveling for school or tourism. With a wide range of routes available, the airport makes travel more convenient," said a passenger.
In 2024, Xinjiang operated a total of 547 regular routes, including 28 international and regional passenger services. By the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the region is expected to have 33 airports in operation or under construction.
China's Xinjiang Airport Group reports record passenger, cargo traffic in 2024
Iran said on Wednesday that 54 seafarers had been killed, 66 injured and seven remained missing in maritime incidents linked to the conflict in the Middle East and related maritime restrictions, according to figures presented at a meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Addressing the 76th session of the IMO Technical Cooperation Committee, an Iranian representative said the incidents had affected a total of 360 vessels, including 253 that were sunk or otherwise totally destroyed.
The representative said the conflict and related maritime restrictions had severely affected ships, seafarers, port operations, search and rescue services, emergency response systems, vessel traffic services, communications facilities and maritime safety infrastructure.
According to the figures presented by Iran, 28 seafarers were taken hostage since the end of February, five of whom remain in captivity.
The representative also reported damage to four maritime operations buildings, four vessel traffic service control stations and eight communications relay units, describing them as critical facilities for safe navigation, emergency coordination and maritime traffic management.
In a document submitted to the committee on June 8, Iran said a U.S. measure entitled "U.S. to Blockade Ships Entering or Exiting Iranian Ports," together with related restrictions, had disrupted commercial shipping, port access, voyage planning, navigational safety and the movement of ships and seafarers.
According to a report from British maritime analytics firm Windward published on Wednesday, five Iran-trading liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers recently broke the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, with four delivering cargoes to India and one to Pakistan.
Since April 13, the U.S. has imposed a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz on all ships trying to enter or leave Iranian ports, aiming to exert pressure on the country.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on May 29 that the so-called U.S. naval blockade was unlawful from the start, and violated a ceasefire agreement and undermined the freedom of international navigation.
Iran reports 54 seafarer deaths, 253 vessels destroyed since conflict with US, Israel begins
