South China's Hainan to create intl aviation hub to boost free trade port construction

The new terminal will offer passengers a unique travel experience through its design and decorations with local culture elements of the island province, such as the traditional architecture and boathouse.

In the new terminal, the Haikou Meilan International Airport will also create the country's largest tax-free airport shopping area.

The airport is exploring the civil aviation market to create an "aviation economic circle" with more flexible air services, both at home and abroad.

By the end of 2019, the Haikou Meilan International Airport had served 297 air routes, connecting 149 cities at home and abroad.

In 2019, the airport's annual passenger throughput exceeded 24.2 million, ranking 17th in the country's total of nearly 240 civil airports.

China's civil aviation authorities on Tuesday unveiled a plan to trial the "Seventh Freedom of the Air" in the Hainan free trade port.

The trial means that some international routes in Hainan are now open to foreign airlines to operate here.

The number of Hainan's international routes reached 103 in 2020, up from five in 2003.