International cargo and mail throughput of the Urumqi Tianshan International Airport in northwest China's Xinjiang rose by 659 percent year on year to 46,000 tons as of June 26, according to local authorities.
The volume exceeded the airport's total international cargo and mail throughput in 2024.
A cargo flight from Tashkent of Uzbekistan landed at the airport on the morning of June 28 and carried a batch of cross-border e-commerce goods back to Tashkent the same day.
The airport's new terminal which began trial operations on April 17 has greatly shortened the customs clearance time for international cargo flights.
With the new terminal, a key part of the airport's expansion project that started in 2019, put into operation, the Urumqi Tianshan International Airport is delivering more efficient air transport services, and its annual passenger and cargo handling capacity has more than tripled.
Thus the airport, formerly known as Urumqi Diwopu International Airport, has become an air hub for China's westward opening up, according to Xinjiang Airport Group Co., Ltd.
With the completion of the expansion project, the airport now has three runways, up from one, and can handle up to 48 million passengers and 550,000 tons of cargo annually. It is now capable of supporting nearly 367,000 aircraft takeoffs and landings per year.
The airport now operates 28 international cargo routes linking 18 countries and regions.
Xinjiang airport sees surge of international cargo, mail throughput
Xinjiang airport sees surge of international cargo, mail throughput
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned on Sunday that Tehran would view the United States and Israel's military bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" should Washington take military action against Iran.
At a parliamentary session convened to review an emergency proposal on assembly regulations, Qalibaf emphasized that, at this highly sensitive juncture, Iran must accurately and thoroughly identify the schemes of its adversaries.
Qalibaf said that Iran is currently confronting Israel and the United States simultaneously on four fronts: economic, cognitive, military, and counterterrorism. Of them, the economic warfare and the cognitive and psychological warfare began many years ago and have persisted to this day, growing increasingly complex and intense in recent years.
The remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran, taking advantage of its nationwide unrest.
Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall of the rial and long-standing economic hardship. Iranian authorities have acknowledged the demonstrations and voiced willingness to address economic grievances, while warning against violence and vandalism.
Amid the ongoing protests, deadly clashes have been reported lately between police and what the government described as "rioters." However, no official death toll has been released.
Also on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will address the country's economic situation and political environment in a televised interview later that day.
Iran swears to counterattack if attacked
