Hainan: 3 airports ramp up special customs operations prep.

Reconfiguration and expansion work on Sanya Phoenix International Airport’s international terminal, located in China’s southernmost island province of Hainan, was completed on July 1, half a year ahead of schedule.

The project, the island’s first special customs operations project to be completed and put into use, brings the Sanya airport one step closer to supporting regular international flight operations.

A photo taken on July 5 shows travelers undergoing exit checks at Sanya Phoenix International Airport’s newly reconfigured international terminal. (Photo: Wang Chenglong / Hainan Daily)

According to the master plan issued by Chinese authorities in June 2020 to develop Hainan into a globally influential free trade port by 2050, the island province is slated to start island-wide special customs operations in 2025.

By then, Hainan will have set up special customs supervision areas. The areas will adopt a two-tiered import and export administration system featuring free flow through the "first line" and efficient control at the "second line". The first line refers to the link between the Hainan FTP and countries and regions outside the Chinese Mainland’s customs territory. The "second line" refers to the link between the Hainan FTP and other areas within the Chinese Mainland’s customs territory.

Encompassing a total of five special customs operations projects, three major airports on the island — Haikou Meilan International Airport, Sanya Phoenix International Airport and Qionghai Bo’ao Airport — have accelerated upgrades in infrastructure, inspection equipment, comprehensive supervision systems, and other functional aspects. Infrastructure projects at the three airports are all expected to be completed by the end of September.

So far, “second-line port” project construction at Haikou Meilan International Airport－including the reconfiguration of the airport’s three passenger terminals, the building of a customs monitoring center, as well as equipment installation at two cargo terminals－is 69% complete.

Aerial view of Terminal 2 at Haikou Meilan International Airport （Photo: Hainan Daily)

“One-stop clearance” currently being trialed at Terminal 2 of Haikou Meilan International Airport. (Photo: Xinhua)

With reconfiguration and expansion of its international terminal complete, Sanya Phoenix International Airport is accelerating remaining projects, which cover inspection facilities and equipment.

Following the completion of the cargo terminal at Qionghai Bo’ao Airport, reconfiguration work at the airport’s domestic terminal is scheduled to be completed by the end of July.