Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, in partnership with Capital Airlines, resumed direct passenger flights between Qingdao and Vancouver, Canada, on Oct 2, adding another trans-Pacific air link to the Jiaozhou Bay area. The route is currently Shandong province's only intercontinental service to North America.

The resumption marks a milestone in the airport's development and will support Qingdao's higher-level opening-up while providing a more convenient air corridor for trade and people-to-people exchanges between the Jiaodong Peninsula and North America.

The Vancouver route is part of Qingdao airport's broader push to expand its international network.

This year, leveraging national visa-free policies, the airport has launched or resumed routes to Penang in Malaysia, Cheongju in South Korea, and Vancouver, while increasing frequencies to Seoul, London, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur.

With Vancouver back in service, intercontinental destinations including London, Moscow, Sydney, and Melbourne further densify Qingdao's global route map.

To date, Qingdao airport operates 224 passenger and cargo routes, including 30 international and regional passenger routes. Inbound foreign passenger traffic has grown significantly, with South Korean and Southeast Asian markets up 14.6 percent and 85.6 percent, respectively.

Alongside network expansion, the airport clearance environment continues to improve.

Qingdao airport has partnered with customs, border inspection, and over 10 other units to upgrade inbound facilities, adding two carry-on baggage pre-inspection channels and boosting clearance efficiency by over 30 percent. The airport has also launched China's first "cluster-style" cross-airline international transit service, enabling one-stop check-in and through baggage.

A comprehensive service center for overseas visitors integrates payment, tourism, communications, and transportation. From January to August, inbound foreign passengers reached 440,000, up 34 percent year-on-year.

Qingdao airport resumes direct flights to Vancouver on Oct 2, restoring Shandong's only intercontinental route to North America. [Photo/Guanhai News]