Guangzhou airport already handles 5 mln foreign passengers this year

More than five million foreign passengers' entries and exits had been recorded this year as of August 31 at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in south China's Guangdong Province.

The figure marked a year-on-year increase of over 30 percent, a historic high for the same period, according to the airport's border inspection station.

The surging traffic reflects the combined impact of China's expanded 240-hour visa-free transit policy and a wave of major diplomatic events including the APEC meetings hosted by China.

"This is my second visit to China, and my first to Guangzhou. I plan to stay in the city for a week. Now we enjoy the visa-free policy, and fast-track clearance is incredibly convenient. Everything is just so easy.," said Oleg Mokrov, a Russian traveler.

While inbound foreign arrivals climb, the scale of Chinese citizens' exits and entries is also steading expanding. As of August 31, the airport had recorded cumulatively 7.67 Chinese citizens' exits and entries, up 11.1 percent year on year.

To handle the sustained high-volume flow, the border inspection authorities have rolled out a slew of passenger-friendly measures.

"We have streamlined the process by combining the temporary entry permit with inbound border inspection into a single transaction, practicing online arrival card filing services by handling them in advance, on mobile phones and offering guidance, paired with real-time multilingual translation to provide travel information services for inbound foreign passengers. For special groups such as the elderly, the weak, the sick, the disabled and women with pregnancy, we provide full-process guidance and assistance," said Xin Xin, an officer of the airport's border inspection station.

Guangzhou airport already handles 5 mln foreign passengers this year

Ras Al Khaimah, the northernmost emirate of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has led a delegation to visit a flying car mass-production factory of ARIDGE, a pioneering developer of low-altitude mobility solutions, in Guangzhou City, in south China's Guangdong Province on Tuesday, during which the delegation and ARIDGE unveiled the first Land Aircraft Carrier (X3-F) air module.

The air module is designated for the UAE's advanced air mobility regulatory sandbox, marking a major milestone achievement of cooperation between ARIDGE and the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority.

Last year, Ras Al Khaimah established a regulatory sandbox for personal flying cars.

The delegation is eyeing how Chinese technology could help shape the emirate's next stage of development.

"Ras Al Khaimah is small enough to move fast and big enough to matter. New technology can reach real passengers here quickly, and from here it can reach the whole region. China is a world leader in smart mobility. Ras Al Khaimah gives that technology a real city, a regulator that moves fast, agile, forward-looking, and a clear path from test, piloting to service," said Esmaeel Hasan Al Blooshi, Director General of Ras al-Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA).

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, ruler of Ras Al Khaimah and member of the UAE Supreme Council, and ARIDGE founder Zhao Deli attend the roll-off ceremony.

"You are the industrial leader. We come for you, your input, your participation. And making that, what I call this solution, air mobility becomes a modern mobility," said Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi.

China's low-altitude economy is taking its technology overseas, with Ras Al Khaimah looking to become a launchpad for real-world applications.

UAE's Ras Al Khaimah ruler visits flying car mass-production factory in Guangzhou