China's new visa policy will make traveling easier

China's Beijing Capital International Airport expects to see an increase in international passengers next year, its management said on Thursday.

The airport is expected to handle more than 52 million passengers this year, with domestic passenger throughput returning to 2019 levels before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The airport is expected to handle 380,000 flights and transport 52.85 million passengers this year. The airport currently offers flights to 207 destinations in 47 countries.

The airport is expected to handle 12 million international passengers next year, management said. Currently, the airport's routes to and from Europe and the United States account for 30 percent of China's capacity.

The airport recently resumed direct flights to Washington, D.C., and Boston in the U.S., and added flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

More flights to North America are expected in the future.

The new visa-free entry policy, which offers citizens of countries such as France and Germany up to 15 days of visa-free travel to China, is expected to increase passenger traffic between European airports and Beijing's Capital Airport.

The management of Capital Airport said it will work with Air China, Hainan Airlines and other airlines to launch more international routes to destinations such as Dhaka, Riyadh, Edinburgh and Hanoi next year.

On Thursday, Capital Airport held a promotional campaign with the theme "Hello, World" to invite potential travelers from all over the world.

Prior to the outbreak, Capital Airport was the busiest airport in China. in 2018, it handled more than 100 million passengers, and in 2019 it exceeded 100 million again.