Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport was the second busiest aviation hub in China during the first three months of 2026. That’s according to customs data cited by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CCAC), which revealed that the airport’s 2026 passenger volume broke the 5 million mark as of 1 April.
The milestone was reached a full 20 days earlier than in 2025, and represents a volume increase of 23.4 percent year-on-year.
According to a Baiyun border inspection representative, the passenger rate benefited from nine international routes between Guangzhou and destinations such as Vietnam and Malaysia that were either newly added or had their service frequency boosted.
Figures cited by CCAC show that over 2.78 million mainland Chinese travellers passed through the airport in the first quarter, a jump of 17.5 percent year-on-year. This category of passengers accounted for around 60 percent of crossings through Baiyun, with close to 60 percent of them choosing to visit Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, approximately 1.75 million international travellers from 196 countries and territories made their way through Baiyun in the first quarter, a rise of over 36 percent year-on-year.
Southeast Asian and East Asian visitors led the pack, although the number of visitors from Europe, America and Oceania were said to have increased steadily.
Around 23 percent of overseas passengers entering via Baiyun reported they were on a business trip. Roughly 57 percent of foreign travellers declared that they were entering China for tourism.
[See more: GBA breaks ground on US$6.1 billion Foshan airport to reshape regional travel]
Baiyun Airport also saw a rise in the number of international passengers making use of China’s visa-free initiatives such as the 240-hour visa free transit policy and the unilateral visa-free entry scheme. Approximately 500,000 foreign travellers took advantage of such policies in the first quarter, a surge of more than 70 percent when compared to the same period in 2025.
With the Qing Ming Festival holiday (4 to 6 April) and the 139th Canton Fair (from 15 April) fast approaching, Baiyun Airport is expected to see its passenger traffic volume jump significantly.
According to border inspection forecasts, the aviation hub is set to welcome an average of more than 52,000 passengers per day between 4 and 6 April, an increase of around 5 percent month-on-month, and a rise of roughly 25 percent year-on-year.
Last year, Baiyun Airport handled 83.59 million passengers, a rise of 9.45 percent year-on-year. The air hub also processed 2.44 million tonnes of cargo and mail, up 2.37 percent over 2024.
The Greater Bay Area (GBA) is home to one of the world’s key aviation clusters, with the region housing other major airports in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
A new 41.81 billion yuan airport in Foshan is also currently being constructed, and will be capable of processing as many as 30 million passengers per year once it is in operation.
