Airports are increasingly becoming important hubs for domestic travels in China, not to mention their role as gateways to the rest of the world. The following are the top 10 airports on the Chinese mainland based on annual passenger traffic.
Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (重慶江北國際機(jī)場)
Since it started operations in 1990, the airport has established cooperative relations with 32 airlines, and connects to 80 domestic and foreign cities with more than 130 routes. It is now one of the 100 best airports in the world. Its annual passenger traffic has increased by 12.6 percent from 14.04 million in 2009 to 15.8 million in 2010.Located 21 kilometers northeast to Chongqing City, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport is one of the three aviation hubs in China's southwestern region. It is notable for being the first airport in western China to open direct flights to Europe.