SZ airport hits new highs in passengers and cargo

In 2025, the Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport handled 66 million passengers — a year-on-year increase of 8% — and processed 2.05 million tons of cargo and mail, up 9%, both record highs. International and regional cargo and mail throughput exceeded 1 million tons, making Shenzhen the third airport on the Chinese mainland to record annual import-and-export cargo volumes above 1 million tons.

The airport now operates 104 international and regional passenger and cargo routes, with international and regional passenger traffic exceeding 6.3 million in 2025, another record. This year, Shenzhen also attracted major carriers such as Emirates and Maldivian. A total of 47 new and expanded international and regional passenger and cargo routes were added, including services to Miami, Manado and Sihanoukville.

Passengers at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport. Liu Xudong

The Shenzhen airport established friendly airport partnerships with Edinburgh Airport in the U.K. and the Doha airport in Qatar, bringing its number of international partner airports to seven. The airport opened its first overseas pre-warehouse in Hanoi, Vietnam, and launched the country’s first international cargo terminal with 24-hour customs clearance in Shenzhen.

Under China’s unilateral visa-exemption trial program, Shenzhen has established air links with 13 participating countries, covering nearly 30% of eligible nations. At the airport’s foreign passenger service center, international travelers can access payments, transport, tourism and telecom services easily, while AI translation devices provide real-time translation in more than 100 languages.

Data show that in the first 11 months of 2025, foreign entries and exits through the Shenzhen airport rose 44% year on year, and visa-exempt arrivals surged 133% year on year.