A newly revamped international transit zone in Haikou Meilan International Airport in south China's Hainan Province will officially begin service on Thursday, the first day of China's five-day May Day Holiday, to provide a more convenient and efficient service to tourists.
Trial operations of the international transit zone began on Monday.
A passenger plane carrying over 180 passengers departed from Melbourne, Australia and landed at Haikou Meilan International Airport in the early hours of Tuesday. Many of the passengers transferred to other destinations via the newly upgraded international transit zone.
Airport staff guided the passengers holding Chinese and international passports through separate channels in the transit area.
Thanks to a smart pre-screening system, travelers can pass swiftly through customs and security checks in the transit zone, and they do not have to reclaim checked luggage or undergo additional security screening.
The newly upgraded zone has significantly improved the passenger experience. Walking distances for transit passengers have been reduced by nearly 50 percent, and the customs inspection and waiting areas have been expanded by over 50 percent. The zone's capacity to handle passengers during peak hour has increased from 44 passengers per hour to 200.
"To Guangzhou, not even 5 minutes. Very fast, and very nice people," said one transiting passenger.
Chinese airport upgrades international transfer area for smoother service
