SANYA, China, Dec. 31, 2025 — Recently, a passenger aircraft from Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines safely landed at Sanya Phoenix International Airport in China. This signifies the official inauguration of China’s first seventh – freedom passenger route, the “Sanya – Prague” route.
An official from the Publicity Department of Sanya Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China said that the seventh freedom, being a high – level form of openness in international air transport, permits foreign airlines to operate routes linking third – countries starting from Sanya. This is due to China’s open policies in international air transport and the policy advantages of the Hainan Free Trade Port.
“The introduction of this route offers European travelers a more straightforward, convenient, and comfortable intercontinental travel choice,” stated SCAT Airlines Vice President Vladimir Sytnik. “It allows more international tourists to consider Sanya in their travel plans.”
The opening of the new route shows the rapid growth of Sanya’s international aviation network. Currently, Sanya has opened 41 international and regional routes, connecting 32 cities around the world. As of December 20, the number of passenger trips at Sanya Phoenix International Airport surpassed 21.849 million, setting a new historical high, with the international passenger volume increasing by 46.6% compared to the previous year.
The improvement of transportation accessibility has directly spurred market dynamism. Since the Hainan Free Trade Port initiated special customs operations, Sanya has seen nearly 1,000 new business entities emerge in sectors such as tourism, high – tech industries, and modern services. A series of landmark projects have been successively carried out, including the establishment of wholly foreign – owned medical institutions and the operation of an embodied intelligent robotics innovation center, demonstrating diversified trends in industrial upgrading.
In the tourism consumption sector, during the first week of the island – wide special customs operations (December 18 to 24), the total duty – free sales in Sanya reached 736 million yuan, showing a year – on – year increase of 48.2%; the cumulative number of tourist trips reached 635,000, a 19% year – on – year increase.
Source: The Publicity Department of Sanya Municipal Party Committee
CONTACT: Contact for media only: Contact person: Ms. He, Tel: 86-10-63074558
