China's Shenzhen, Guangzhou airports hit record highs - surpass pre-Covid passenger levels
Guangzhou's Baiyun Airport handled 40.04 million passengers during the period, up 9.2% year on year, while Shenzhen's Baoan Airport served 32.55 million - a 10.8% increase, according to figures released by the two airports. Both have now surpassed their pre-pandemic highs.
International traffic at both airports also surged, partly due to China's expanded visa-free entry policy. Baiyun logged over 8.18 million inbound and outbound passengers - up 22.9% year on year - while Baoan saw more than 3.05 million, a 30.7% increase from a year earlier.
In contrast, Hong Kong International Airport reported that it handled 29.4 million passengers in the first half of 2025, a 16.5% year-on-year increase - but still short of the 37.8 million recorded during the same period in 2019.
Analysts said the performance of the Greater Bay Area's airport cluster was driven by the region's economic dynamism and improved connectivity.
"The rapid growth in passenger volumes at Guangzhou and Shenzhen reflects the vibrant business activity in the cities as well as strong demand from mainland tourists to the areas," said David Wong, a lecturer at Hang Seng University in Hong Kong, who has researched the link between air transport and regional development.
"Meanwhile, Hong Kong airport's competitiveness in attracting both international and mainland passengers has weakened compared to previous years, with its market share in the GBA aviation sector under pressure."
Still, the city retained its edge as an international aviation hub. It remained the world's busiest cargo airport in 2024, handling 4.3 million tonnes, according to Airports Council International - a title it has held for fourteen consecutive years.
It was also ranked in the top 10 globally for international passenger traffic - the only airport in the Greater Bay Area to make the list.
But compared to earlier targets, the pace of growth for major regional airports continues to fall short of expectations.
In 2018, for instance, Guangzhou's airport aimed to surpass 100 million annual passengers by 2025 - a target that now looks increasingly out of reach.
Meanwhile, although Guangzhou and Hong Kong airports were designed to accommodate a combined total of 120 million passengers annually, both continue to operate below capacity.
Looking ahead, growth across the cluster could face headwinds.
Wong cautioned that rising geopolitical uncertainties - particularly the China-US trade war - have slowed the flow of foreign capital and international talent, posing challenges to the Greater Bay Area's ambition to become a world-class international aviation hub.
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