Sci-tech innovation facilitates festival travel rush at Guangzhou airport

Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong is handling this year's 40-day Spring Festival travel rush with the help of sci-tech innovation and upgraded services, improving millions of passengers' travel experience.

China's 2026 Spring Festival travel rush started on Monday, 15 days ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, which falls on Feb 17 this year. The festival is one of the most important holidays in China, celebrated with family reunions and wishes for good luck.

The Baiyun airport's newly built Terminal 3, which began operations in October 2025, is handling the Spring Festival travel rush for the first time.

Over the 40-day period, the airport is expected to handle more than 10.5 million passenger trips, averaging over 260,000 passenger trips per day, up 11.77 percent year on year.

During the period, around 65,700 flights are projected to take off and land at the airport, with a daily average of 1,643 flights, representing an increase of 8.45 percent year on year, making it one of the busiest Spring Festival travel seasons on record.

The operation on day one of the travel rush appeared relatively calm, thanks in part to the scientific and technological innovation. Dozens of smart machines have been installed at the new terminal, allowing passengers to complete almost the entire boarding process through self-service: from check-in, bag drop, to even security checks.

Passengers traveling in groups of ten or more can call for a group conceige service, which will guide them through the boarding process, reducing the waiting time to the minimum.

Beyond efficiency, the airport is offering a more enjoyable travel experience. An outdoor observation deck allows passengers to watch planes take off and land, while nearby facilities include an orchid garden and even a marriage registration office, where newlyweds can officially collect their licenses.

Festive elements add to the holiday atmosphere as well. A Spring Festival fair has been set up at the airport, selling flowers and local snacks, alongside lively singing and dancing performances for travelers. 

Sci-tech innovation facilitates festival travel rush at Guangzhou airport

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of negotiations with the United States within the framework of the nuclear issue, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported Monday, citing an unnamed government source.

Fars, quoting Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei's remarks earlier in the day as saying, added that talks between Iran and the United States will probably be held in Türkiye in the next few days.

Meanwhile, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, quoting an unidentified informed source, also confirmed that senior officials from the two sides will probably begin negotiations in the coming days.

The negotiations will probably be held between Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, Tasnim reported, adding that the venue and exact date of the negotiations have not been finalized yet.

The developments come as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high amid increased U.S. military activity in the Middle East. Trump's administration deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and multiple warships to the Middle East in late January.

On Sunday, Trump said if Tehran fails to strike a nuclear deal with Washington, "we will find out" whether Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was right to warn that a U.S. attack could ignite a regional war.

In an interview with a U.S. media outlet on Sunday, Araghchi said that a "just, fair, and equitable" nuclear agreement with the United States remains achievable in the short term, provided Washington abandons its policy of coercion.

Earlier on Monday, Baghaei told a weekly press conference in Tehran that Iran is reviewing the details and general outlines of the potential initiation of negotiations with the United States.

Iranian president orders start of talks with U.S. on nuke profile: local media