The 2024 Guangzhou International Aviation Hub High-Quality Development Conference was held in Guangzhou from June 17 to 18. Centered on the theme "An Open World, China's Hub," the conference featured keynote speeches and salons, released hub construction achievements, and held business talks, jointly exploring pathways for the high-quality development of the Guangzhou International Aviation Hub.

It is reported that Guangzhou Baiyun Airport is one of the comprehensive gateway composite international aviation hubs designated by the state, and is also a "dual hub" handling both passenger and cargo air transport. Currently, more than 80 airlines operate regularly at the airport. The airport connects nearly 100 international and regional destinations, forming a "4-hour aviation traffic circle" with major domestic and Southeast Asian cities and a "12-hour aviation traffic circle" with major global cities.

Guangzhou Baiyun Airport.

Since last year, Guangzhou Baiyun Airport has added, resumed, and increased more than 100 international and regional passenger routes. To date, the airport has more than 230 passenger destinations, with about 1,500 international and regional passenger flights per week. In terms of cargo, the airport's cargo and mail volume exceeded 2 million tons again last year, ranking second nationwide for four consecutive years.

Han Wensheng, General Manager of China Southern Air Holding Group, said in his speech that the Guangzhou International Aviation Hub is the "air bridge" connecting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to the world and an important hub linking the Belt and Road Initiative and the "Air Silk Road." Last year, passenger throughput at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport exceeded 63 million, ranking first nationwide for four consecutive years and making it one of the few Chinese aviation hubs whose passenger and cargo volumes both rank among the world's top. As a large air transport enterprise headquartered in Guangzhou, China Southern has deeply advanced the "four integrations" of market, network, product, and service in the Greater Bay Area. Over the past year and more, it has actively restored international routes, opened new routes from Guangzhou to Port Moresby, Budapest, Doha, Istanbul, and others, vigorously developed cargo and logistics, and promoted the high-quality development of the airport economy. Currently, China Southern has deployed 210 passenger aircraft in Guangzhou, with a 46% passenger market share, and 9 freighters, with a 28.7% cargo market share.

At the conference that day, the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government, the Civil Aviation Administration of China Central and Southern Regional Administration, the Central and Southern Air Traffic Management Bureau of CAAC, Guangzhou Customs, Guangzhou Immigration Inspection, China Southern Air Holding Group, and Guangdong Airport Authority signed the Strategic Cooperation Agreement on Jointly Promoting the Construction of Guangzhou Comprehensive Gateway Composite International Aviation Hub, pooling efforts to accelerate the joint construction of the Guangzhou International Aviation Hub.

During the release of hub construction achievements, Guangzhou promoted and released its "144-hour" transit visa-free tourism service; the national airport service platform "Jichangtong," whose membership has exceeded the ten-million level, announced its launch; China Southern Air Holding Group released hub products; and Airports Council International (ACI) announced that the 2025 ACI Customer Experience Global Summit will be held at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport.

The conference was hosted by the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government and organized by Guangdong Airport Authority and China Southern Air Holding Group.