Cross‑border travel through the Urumqi Tianshan International Airport in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region hit record levels during the just-concluded Spring Festival holiday, with the regional travel hub recording a 124-percent increase over the previous year's festive period.

The airport saw more than 17,000 inbound and outbound travelers passing through during the Spring Festival period, China's biggest annual holiday marking the Chinese New Year -- with peak travel days during the official holiday period from Feb 15 to 23 seeing daily volumes exceed 2,500.

Kazakhstan was the top outbound destination, accounting for 25.7 percent of traffic, followed by Russia at 13.6 percent and Hong Kong at 13.3 percent, highlighting the airport's growing regional connectivity.

Operating around the clock, the airport ensured efficient clearance for over 12,000 Chinese citizens and more than 4,000 foreign nationals.

"As gatekeepers of the nation, we combine firm law enforcement with warm-hearted service. Our mission is to streamline clearance procedures and ensure every traveler's journey is safe, smooth, and heartwarming," said Wang Shuaibin, an official of Urumqi's entry-exit border inspection station.

The Urumqi Tianshan International Airport's passenger and cargo capacities received a major boost when a new terminal began operations in April last year, the latest step as a key part of a major expansion project at the airport which began in 2019.

Last year, the airport served ‌over 1.1 million inbound and outbound passenger trips‌ and ‌14,000 international and regional flights‌, ‌both setting records, as the airport added new international routes and received a boost from China's visa-free policies.

This year's Spring Festival, which marks the start of the Year of the Horse, fell on Feb. 17. The 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, also known as 'Chunyun' -- the world's largest annual human migration, during which millions of Chinese journey back to their hometowns to reunite with family or embark on tourism excursions -- runs until March 13