Shenzhen Airport Sets Records with 66 Million Passengers and 2.05 Million Tons of Cargo in 2025

Overview

According to a Shenzhen Daily report on January 4, 2026, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport handled 66 million passengers in 2025, up 8% year on year, and 2.05 million tons of cargo and mail, up 9%. Both figures were records. International and regional cargo and mail exceeded 1 million tons, making Shenzhen the third airport in mainland China to handle more than 1 million tons of international import and export cargo in a year.

International and regional passenger traffic also reached a record of more than 6.3 million. In 2025, the airport opened or expanded 47 international and regional passenger and cargo routes, bringing the total number of international and regional routes in operation to 104.

Background

According to a Shenzhen government release on December 26, the number of international and regional passenger routes at Shenzhen Airport reached a record 61. In 2025, nearly 30 international passenger routes, including services to Mexico City, Malé, Tokyo and Dubai, were opened or increased, extending the network to 61 destinations across five continents. In December, Shenzhen Airlines also launched a direct Shenzhen-Melbourne service with three round trips a week, the airport's third direct route to Oceania. As of December 21, international and regional passenger traffic had reached 6.15 million, up 23% year on year.

Among the countries covered by China's unilateral visa-free trial policy, Shenzhen Airport has direct links to 13, roughly 30% of the total. From January to November 2025, entries and exits by foreign nationals rose 44% year on year, and visa-free arrivals jumped 133%.

Meanwhile, on December 22 it was reported, citing data from the aviation data firm DAST (Hangban Guanjia), that all scheduled flights on 46 China-Japan routes would be cancelled between December 23, 2025 and January 5, 2026. Shenzhen was among the 26 mainland cities affected, although the report did not specify the number of Shenzhen flights involved.

Key Points

Item	2025 results
Passengers	66 million (up 8%, record)
Cargo and mail	2.05 million tons (up 9%, record)
International and regional cargo	Over 1 million tons
International and regional passengers	Over 6.3 million (record)
International and regional routes (passenger and cargo)	104, including 47 new or expanded

• Services for foreign travelers: A foreign passenger service center provides one-stop help with payments, transport, tourism and telecoms, and AI translation devices support more than 100 languages.
• Logistics: The airport opened its first overseas pre-positioned warehouse in Hanoi, Vietnam, and launched China's first international cargo terminal offering round-the-clock customs clearance.
• International partnerships: Friendly-airport ties were established with Edinburgh Airport in the UK and Doha Airport in Qatar, bringing the number of overseas partner airports to seven. Emirates and Maldivian also began serving Shenzhen.

Implications for Japan-Shenzhen Exchange

The expansion of Shenzhen Airport's international network and its improved services for foreign travelers are likely to make trips to Shenzhen more convenient for business people and tourists from Japan. The inclusion of Tokyo among the routes opened or expanded in 2025 also widens travel options between the two regions.

With international cargo exceeding 1 million tons and round-the-clock customs clearance now available, attention is also turning to more efficient logistics for electronic components and cross-border e-commerce goods routed through Shenzhen. At the same time, large-scale cancellations of China-Japan flights occurred over the year-end and New Year period, and how flight operations develop will be watched closely for their impact on travel between the two regions.

Outlook

Shenzhen Airport continues to expand its international and regional network, but detailed 2026 flight plans, including for Japan routes, have not yet been published. When normal operations on China-Japan routes will resume also remains unclear.

From the Association

The Association will continue to follow aviation and logistics developments linking Japan and Shenzhen, and will strive to provide information useful for travel and business between the two regions.