Shanghai is expanding its flight network and launching new services to facilitate easier connections for passengers between airlines, terminals, and airports.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport handled 13.75 million transfer passenger trips in 2025, a 14 percent increase year-on-year. Transfer passengers accounted for 16.2 percent of the airport's total passenger traffic.

The newly launched Shanghai Pudong–Dublin route illustrates this growing demand. Transfer passengers accounted for 49 percent of travelers on its first outbound flight and 61.6 percent on its first return flight.

More routes and better connections

Scheduled flights now connect Shanghai's two airports with 302 destinations in 53 countries, with the number of connected countries reaching a record high.

Since 2024, China Eastern Airlines has launched 41 new international routes from Shanghai. Six have been added this year, connecting Shanghai with Phu Quoc, Tashkent, Zurich, Adelaide, Tbilisi, and Dublin.

The airline has also increased frequencies on key domestic and international routes and expanded short-haul flights linking cities in the Yangtze River Delta to Pudong airport. These services are timed to connect with international arrivals and departures at the airport.

Connections across airlines and terminals

Shanghai has introduced China's first cross-airline, cross-terminal connecting service at Pudong airport.

The service allows passengers connecting between flights operated by China Eastern Airlines (including Shanghai Airlines) and Juneyao Airlines to check in once and have their baggage sent directly to their final destination.

It was initially launched on the Qingdao-Shanghai-Singapore route in both directions, covering international-to-domestic and domestic-to-international transfers.

On June 16, the service was expanded to include four additional domestic cities: Zhengzhou, Changsha, Xiamen, and Lanzhou. It also expanded international transfer options to 10 major intercontinental destinations, including New York, Los Angeles, and Sydney.

Easier transfers between Pudong and Hongqiao

Passengers changing airports can travel between Pudong and Hongqiao on the Airport Link Line, which connects the two airports in about 40 minutes.

China Eastern Airlines has established dedicated transfer counters at both airports, providing onward-flight check-in and baggage transfer services. For eligible itineraries, passengers can transfer between the airports without collecting their luggage.

Since May 2025, China Eastern Airlines has gradually introduced 24-hour check-in services for domestic and international flights at Pudong airport. Inspection channels have been opened in coordination with relevant inspection authorities to make onward connections more efficient.

More comfortable layovers

Pudong airport has upgraded its facilities for passengers with overnight or extended layovers, including:

• Sofas and other seating suitable for lying down in rest areas
• Private rest cabins
• Free 24-hour shower facilities
• Airport hotel rooms available for four- to six-hour stays

International transit passengers with longer layovers can also join free half-day tours offered by the Shanghai Airport Authority, the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, and Trip.com Group.

The program includes three specially designed routes covering major attractions such as Yuyuan Garden, the Bund, Wukang Mansion, and Huangpu River cruises.

The tours are available to international transit passengers arriving at Pudong airport with layovers of more than eight hours. Participants must meet China's entry requirements, either through an applicable visa-free policy or by holding a valid visa.

More capacity on the way

Shanghai recently released its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for accelerating the development of its international shipping center. The plan aims to establish Shanghai as a leading aviation hub in the Asia-Pacific region by 2030, with annual passenger throughput reaching 150 million and air cargo and mail throughput reaching about 4.7 million metric tons.

Pudong airport's fourth-phase expansion project is expected to be completed and ready for operation by the end of 2028. Upon completion, the airport will have three terminals and a standalone satellite concourse.

Sources: Jiefang Daily, Shanghai Airport Authority, China Eastern Airlines, Trip.com Group