Airport employees pass by closed shops at Baoan International Airport, Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province on June 19, 2021. Photo: CFP

The passenger throughput of airports in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province is rebounding after the province successfully contained a localized COVID-19 outbreak, with the summer transport peak officially starting on July 11.

From July 9 to 11, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport saw a total of 3,087 flights with the passenger throughput reaching 114,700, 112,300 and 117,300 on each day respectively, marking the daily passenger flow exceeding 110,000 for three consecutive days, and the number of flights and the number of passenger have recovered to roughly 80 percent and 60 percent of the pre-outbreak level respectively, according to media reports.

The average number of flights in Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport reached 1,100 on July 11, compared to 415 flights per day in the previous month due to the outbreak, the aviation news portal carnoc.com reported on Monday.

Shenzhen Baoan International Airport also saw strong recovery in passenger throughput, with the largest single-day passenger flow reaching more than 100,000 and the daily flight volume exceeded 900, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported on Wednesday, noting that the flight volume is expected to return to the normal level before the previous outbreak, and the passenger flow will continue to grow within the week.

Passengers leaving Guangzhou and Shenzhen were required to present a negative nucleic acid test result taken within 48 hours in June. This restriction was canceled on July 3 in Guangzhou and July 6 in Shenzhen.

Although the passenger throughput of Shenzhen airport dropped sharply in June, the company still shows a positive performance on fiscal report. 

Shenzhen Baoan International Airport released a performance forecast on Wednesday and it is expected to achieve a net profit of 75.3 million yuan to 97.8 million yuan in the first half of 2021. The company lost 151 million yuan in the same period last year.

The airport attributed the jump to the effective control of the epidemic, making the company's passenger, cargo throughput, and aircraft takeoffs and landings have rapidly rebounded.

In fact, in the first quarter of this year, the airport in Shenzhen has already achieved profitability, recording a net profit of 49.96 million yuan.

However, affected by the local epidemic in Guangdong from late May to June, the passenger throughput of Shenzhen airport dropped sharply month-on-month.

In detail, its passenger throughput in June was 1.58 million trips, a decrease of nearly 60 percent from the previous month, and a decrease of approximately 46 percent from the same period last year. 

In addition, the number of takeoffs and landings at Shenzhen airport in June dropped from 29,100 in May to 17,500, a decrease of about 40 percent from the previous month and a decrease of nearly 36 percent year-on-year.

Global Times