Xinhua News Agency, Urumqi, April 17 (Reporters Hao Yu, Wang Yuhao, Gu Yu) On the 17th, Urumqi Tianshan International Airport opened a new terminal, and the annual passenger and cargo and mail throughput increased by more than twice compared with the original airport's guarantee capacity. The "gold content" of international aviation hubs is becoming increasingly prominent.

The airport was built in 1939 and has undergone 4 renovation and expansion projects of different scales. With the completion of the fourth renovation and expansion in 2025, the airport's original runway has been upgraded to 3, and the airport's guarantee capacity has been greatly improved, becoming a "new national gate" for inbound and outbound passengers.

A relevant person in charge of the Civil Aviation Administration of China said that the country attaches great importance to the development of Xinjiang's civil aviation industry, and has allocated a total of more than 12 billion yuan of civil aviation development funds to be used for the four large-scale renovation and expansion of Tianshan International Airport in Urumqi, and actively coordinated investment of 3 billion yuan within the central budget to support the airport's planning and construction and the improvement of comprehensive guarantee capabilities.

As airport infrastructure continues to upgrade, personnel exchanges and cultural exchanges are becoming increasingly close, this border airport has gradually transformed into a "cultural bond" connecting the world.

"The night view of the Grand Bazaar in Urumqi is good, especially the variety of delicacies is very attractive," said Giorgaze Mirian, a tourist from Georgia. In March this year, he and his family took the opportunity to travel to Urumqi. He was very satisfied with his feelings about his first visit to Xinjiang.

What makes Ji Olgaze even more pleased is that his hometown can fly directly to Urumqi. "You can get to Xinjiang in 5 hours, and the air ticket price is also suitable, which is really convenient." Giorgaze said.

At present, Urumqi Tianshan International Airport has opened 207 domestic regular passenger routes, covering major cities across the country; 26 international regular passenger routes, reaching Central Asia, West Asia, Europe and other regions. The continuously dense aviation network has created convenient travel conditions for tourists at home and abroad, driving the continuous increase in tourism in Urumqi.

In 2024, Urumqi received a total of 121 million tourists, an increase of 14.03% year-on-year. More and more tourists came to Urumqi, and their exchanges and integration with local people of all ethnic groups became increasingly close.

The "Silk Road in the Sky" is well-connected, and Urumqi is becoming closer to its neighboring countries. He Mingxing, a special professor of Tianshan Scholars at Xinjiang University, said that benefiting from the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative, the construction of the China (Xinjiang) Free Trade Pilot Zone, etc., Urumqi Tianshan International Airport has continuously weaved tight routes, extended airport functions, cultivated air-side industrial clusters, and helped Urumqi gradually move from the inland hinterland to the forefront of opening up.

Cherries from Central Asia now can reach Urumqi in as fast as 2 hours. This is the dividend brought to Urumqi by the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative, and it is also the result of Urumqi's continuous weaving of dense routes.

In order to meet the growing market demand, Urumqi Tianshan International Airport has successively opened international passenger and cargo routes in 16 countries and 22 regions in 2024. According to Urumqi Customs statistics, from January to February this year alone, Urumqi's total foreign trade import and export value was RMB 13.15 billion, an increase of 21.2% year-on-year.

Urumqi Tianshan International Airport also leverages the east wind of the Xinjiang Free Trade Pilot Zone to continuously extend the airport function and help the functions of the international aviation hub continue to improve. The bonded air fuel filling business of international routes and flights have been implemented, aircraft bonded maintenance and public bonded warehouses have been launched... One by one, new high-tech and high-value-added business formats have been launched based on the airport, injecting impetus into the development of the local aviation industry.

"At present, the airport has gathered to form an 'aerospace + logistics' industry, which will further drive the strengthening and extending of the air-side industry chain." Yang Hongfeng, general manager of the Urumqi International Airport Branch of Xinjiang Airport Group, said that Urumqi Tianshan International Airport is building more "air bridges" between China and Europe, Central and Western Asia, driving regional economic development and strengthening cultural exchanges.