Fans are waiting for their idol at an airport in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province. File Photo: VCG

An airport in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province, a city where a number of variety shows are filmed, has sparked discussion on social media after requesting that studios pay it fees based on the number of fans who head to the airport to meet arriving entertainers.

Since Changsha is a "capital" for entertainment programs, entertainers often head there to film guest spots, which leads to a large amount of fans going to the airport to greet and take photos of their idols.

According to a report from Chinese media outlet The Paper on Wednesday, the airport has received many complaints from regular passengers about these fans, who they feel can be disruptive, which motivated it to request shows who invite entertainers to pay fees based on the size of these fan gatherings. 

According to the report, the airport requested that studios pay 2,000 yuan ($311) per entertainer for fan groups ranging from 20 to 50 people and 3,000 yuan for groups over 50. No payment is necessary for groups under 20. 

"If the program arranges for security guards to maintain order and fans comply with this order, fees can be discounted by 50 percent," the Hunan Airport Industrial Co Ltd wrote in a statement, according to The Paper. 

One employee at the airport told The Paper that the payments will be used to maintain security. 

Many netizens expressed support for the airport on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo, saying that fans' rowdy behavior at the airports should be regulated.

"So many fans gather at airports and might cause traffic jams and disturb other passengers. They are happy to see their idols but that happiness is based on annoying others, so their actions should be regulated," one Sina Weibo user commented.

Some netizens questioned the effectiveness of the fees, noting that since they will be paid by studios, they will not act as a deterrent to fans. 

"The fees should be higher and regulations that directly constrain fans should be implemented," another netizen wrote.

Welcoming idols at the airport is not supported by all fans. A fan of Chinese actor and singer Kris Wu told the Global Times on Thursday that she never goes to airports to wait for her idol as it would be too much trouble. 

"The healthiest attitude is to love and support his works and keep a distance from his life," she said.

The actions of fans have also caught the attention of the Chinese government. 

The Cyberspace Administration of China launched a two-month "Clear and Bright" campaign on Tuesday to rectify the behavior of "fan circles" in China as cyberbullying and gossiping on the internet among fans can adversely affect adolescents' physical and mental health.