Xi’an, the ancient capital of China, and China West Airport Group, have been selected to host the 22nd edition of Routes Asia in 2026.
This air service development event, organised by Routes and part of the Aviation Week Network, will bring together key aviation industry players to advance air connectivity across the Asia Pacific region.
Xi’an, renowned for its rich history and cultural heritage, including the Terracotta Army, serves as a crucial transport hub for northern China. Xi’an Xianyang International Airport, handling over 47 million passengers annually, is poised for significant growth. The passenger throughput of 2024 has returned to the pre-epidemic level which has reached over 47 million.
Steven Small, director of Routes, said: “Routes Asia will attract even more international tourists to Xi’an, and promote trade and investment development. The event will comprehensively strengthen the airport’s existing network in Southeast and North Asia, while also further expanding the route network in Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe.”
Small emphasised the positive impact of hosting Routes Asia, stating that previous host airports have witnessed a 5.7 per cent increase in network growth within three years. With the attendance of over 100 leading airlines, the event provides a platform for Xi’an to showcase its infrastructure development and investment opportunities to key decision-makers.
Yang Ou, chairman of China West Airport Group, shared that in December 2024, the third expansion phase of Xi’an Xianyang International Airport – where another runway will be added – was put into motion. In the future, the aviation hub will be capable of serving 83 million passengers, and handling one million tons of cargo, annually.
China West Airport Group is the second largest large-scale airport management group operating across provinces in China, and currently operates 18 airports in Shaanxi, Ningxia and Qinghai provinces.
