Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport receives the title of best airport in the Asia-Pacific region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport in Qingdao city, East China's Shandong province, was recently awarded the title of "best airport" in the Asia-Pacific region, in an international assessment of airports.

That was in the category of airports that handle passenger traffic levels ranging from 25 to 40 million per year – and that achieve an outstanding overall performance.

The honor given to the Qingdao airport was unveiled by the Airport Council International or ACI, when it announced the results of its 2024 global airport services quality assessment. 

The evaluation, based on a global passenger satisfaction survey conducted by the ACI, covered core indicators such as security efficiency, facility convenience, environmental comfort and professionalism of service personnel.

Surpassing renowned international airports of a similar scale – such as Tokyo Narita and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airports – Qingdao airport secured the second position in the Asia-Pacific region, reaffirming its recognition for world-class service quality.

Flying high: Qingdao airport posts operational records in 2024. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Last year, Qingdao airport posted records in its operations, with a total of 193,000 transport flights, 26.18 million passengers and 279,000 metric tons of cargo throughput – representing respective increases of 13 percent, 22 percent and 7 percent on 2023 levels.

The airport's flight clearance rate ranked first in the East China region in 2024. Moreover, the China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology's passenger satisfaction evaluation has consistently placed it as the top airport nationwide in the category for 11 consecutive quarters.

In 2024, Qingdao airport continued to expand its network of air routes, connecting to 128 cities domestically and internationally. It strengthened its distinctive advantages as a gateway hub for Japan, South Korea and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization region. That's with the volume of Qingdao-Seoul Express flights rising to the top nationwide and its number of Japanese and South Korean passengers ranking third in the country.

"I particularly enjoy Qingdao's beer and seafood. With multiple flights and short travel times from South Korea to Qingdao, it has become even more convenient after the visa exemption," said a passenger from the city of Seoul.

Leveraging the benefits of visa exemptions for Japan and South Korea, some 2.67 million passengers from international destinations visited Qingdao last year – a whopping 96 percent increase on 2023.

Additionally, the airport significantly enhanced its transfer service capabilities. It expanded its international connecting flight services and ensured the transfer of 2.55 million passengers – an 80 percent year-on-year increase.

To top it off, the proportion of transfer passengers increased to 10 percent in 2024 – propelling the airport into the top tier of national airports in terms of transfer services.

Qingdao airport's performance last year leads to accolades. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]