The international cargo and mail throughput of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport —  one of China's busiest cargo airports —  totaled 220,000 tonnes in 2021, up nearly 50% year on year.

This marks the first time that the figure has passed the 200,000-tonne milestone, maintaining the airport's top place in the western region in terms of international cargo and mail throughput, according to China's state media Xinhua.

The southwest China-based airport handled more than 477,000 tonnes of cargo in 2021, 15.9% year on year, while it recorded nearly 35.8 million passenger trips last year, up 2.4%.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport launched five new international freight transport routes, expanding its reach to cities including Yekaterinburg, Brussels, Bangalore, Tokyo, and Dhaka last year.