Shanghai Pudong airport port logs over 319,000 crossings in first three days of National Day holiday
In short
Shanghai Pudong International Airport's port handled more than 319,000 inbound and outbound travellers and over 2,100 passenger and cargo flights in the first three days of the National Day holiday, from October 1 to 3, the Shanghai Airport border inspection station said. Foreign nationals entering through the port totalled 43,000, up 23.5 percent from the same holiday period last year, with travellers from South Korea, Russia and Southeast Asian countries among the largest groups. Mainland residents accounted for 220,000 crossings, or 69 percent of the total.
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Shanghai Pudong International Airport's port handled more than 319,000 inbound and outbound travellers in the first three days of the National Day holiday, October 1 to 3, according to figures released on October 4 by the Shanghai Airport border inspection station. Passenger and cargo flights through the port exceeded 2,100 over the same period, the station said. [ 1 , 3 ]
Foreign nationals entering through the port numbered 43,000 during the three days, up 23.5 percent from the same period of last year's National Day holiday. South Korea, Russia and Southeast Asian countries were the leading sources, and group tours formed a significant part of the flow. A Vietnamese tour guide, surnamed Nguyen, told China News Service that a five-day, four-night Shanghai-plus-Wuzhen route was popular in Ho Chi Minh City, including stops at Xintiandi and the Bund and a cultural performance. [ 1 ]
Mainland residents accounted for 220,000 crossings, or 69 percent of the port's total, the station said. It added that the daily number of departing mainland residents fell through the period while the number arriving rose, a pattern it attributed to travellers who left before the holiday and returned as it began. [ 1 ]
On destinations, the report said about two-thirds of outbound mainland residents chose nearby short-haul trips, with East Asia, Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan remaining popular, while nearly 30 percent travelled to Europe or the Americas after combining leave with the holiday. [ 1 ]
The border inspection station said it maintained a combined fast-track and manual clearance model, added staff outside inspection booths to direct eligible mainland residents to fast lanes, used its own forecasting software to adjust staffing, renewed smart verification counters in Terminal 2, separated foreign arrivals into categories for inspection and kept a multilingual volunteer team at the port throughout the period. It also noted that the 2026 Shanghai Rolex Masters starts on October 5, with the schedule half overlapping the holiday, and that overseas player teams and tennis fans arrived in Shanghai early. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The figures are an official readout of cross-border traffic at China's busiest international airport gateway during a peak holiday week, and point to both outbound holiday demand and inbound foreign arrivals. The border inspection station's account of extra lanes, predictive staffing and multilingual volunteers shows how the holiday surge is being handled operationally. Beyond the holiday, the arrival of overseas tennis teams and fans before the October 5 Shanghai Rolex Masters is described as a new reason for foreign visitors to enter China.
Key facts
- Pudong International Airport's port recorded more than 319,000 inbound and outbound travellers in the first three days of the National Day holiday, October 1 to 3. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Passenger and cargo flights through the port exceeded 2,100 over the same three days. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Foreign nationals entering through the port reached 43,000, up 23.5 percent on the same period of last year's National Day holiday. [ 1 ]
- South Korea, Russia and Southeast Asian countries were the leading source markets, with group tours described as a significant part of the flow. [ 1 ]
- Mainland residents made 220,000 crossings, accounting for 69 percent of the total. [ 1 ]
- About two-thirds of outbound mainland residents chose short-haul destinations in East Asia, Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, while nearly 30 percent travelled to Europe or the Americas. [ 1 ]
- The Shanghai Airport border inspection station said it used a combined fast-track and manual clearance model and a predictive staffing system to handle the volumes. [ 1 ]
- The 2026 Shanghai Rolex Masters is due to start on October 5, with its schedule half overlapping the holiday. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Shanghai Airport border inspection station reported that cumulative inbound and outbound travellers at Pudong International Airport's port exceeded 319,000 in the first three days of the National Day holiday. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Inbound and outbound passenger and cargo flights at the port exceeded 2,100 over the same period. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether total port traffic rose or fell compared with last year's National Day holiday. Only the foreign-nationals figure, up 23.5 percent, is given a year-on-year comparison; no equivalent comparison is provided for total crossings or for mainland residents.
- The split of the 319,000 crossings between inbound and outbound directions. The documents give daily direction trends for mainland residents only and do not break down the overall total by direction.
- The basis for the description of a 13-day break obtained by combining leave with the holiday. This appears only in one document and is not explained further.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- China News Service publishes the border inspection station's figures for October 1-3 at Pudong International Airport's port. [ 1 ]
- Yicai publishes a brief reporting the same three-day total of nearly 320,000 crossings. [ 2 ]
- CLS publishes a brief citing the border inspection station for the more than 319,000 crossings and more than 2,100 flights. [ 3 ]
- The 2026 Shanghai Rolex Masters is scheduled to begin on October 5, with its schedule half overlapping the National Day holiday period. [ 1 ]