With the Spring Festival break ending, China Southern Airlines has raised daily departures in Xinjiang to more than 230 flights, deploying wide-body aircraft on trunk routes such as Urumqi–Beijing and Urumqi–Guangzhou. Ticket loads on leisure routes from the region’s ski resorts and beach getaways are exceeding 90 percent, while international services are booking above 80 percent. (news.cgtn.com)
Operational enhancements include additional check-in counters, multilingual signage, fast-track lanes for elderly passengers and children, and reinforced ground-handling crews to speed baggage transfers. The carrier is also issuing mobile push alerts advising travellers to arrive earlier than usual at Urumqi Diwopu International Airport because security queues can stretch beyond 45 minutes during the evening wave.
For those planning onward international travel or entering China from abroad, securing the right visa can be just as critical as finding an available seat. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/china/) simplifies the application process with step-by-step guidance, document verification, and expedited submission options, ensuring paperwork doesn’t become a bottleneck in an already busy travel window.
Xinjiang’s post-holiday rush is a bellwether for China’s far-west mobility corridors, which are integral to Beijing’s “Silk Road Economic Belt” strategy. A steady flow of migrant workers, energy-sector staff and cross-border traders is critical for regional supply chains that feed central and eastern manufacturing hubs.
For corporates relocating teams in and out of Xinjiang, the capacity increase reduces the likelihood of involuntary re-routing via Lanzhou or Xi’an, which plagued travellers last year when flights were capped. Travel managers should, however, note that change-fee waivers are suspended during the peak window; only involuntary delays will qualify for free rebooking.
The airline’s decision underscores a wider trend: Chinese carriers are pivoting capacity back to domestic long-haul and tier-two city pairs where demand recovery is strongest, even as selected intercontinental routes remain below 2019 levels.
