AI-generated image. The 2026 May Day holiday is projected to witness 1.52 billion cross-regional passenger trips nationwide, with the first day expected to peak at 344 million trips. Travel during the holiday is primarily for tourism purposes. Combined with generally favorable weather conditions this year, travel demand has been further unleashed. When major corridors and hubs encounter massive passenger flows, ensuring safety and smooth movement requires advanced intelligence. Major infrastructure projects, including the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, Nanjing Metro, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, Tianjin Metro, and Liaoning Expressways, are showcasing cutting-edge technologies to make holiday travel safer.
During the holiday, cross-river vehicle traffic in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area surged significantly. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link has developed an intelligent emergency response system. Tailored for the unique conditions of the underwater tunnel, it establishes a multi-dimensional monitoring network utilizing AI video surveillance, infrared temperature measurement, and intelligent inspection robots, enabling second-level alerts for abnormal events. The system intelligently matches the optimal response plan and coordinates firefighting and smoke exhaust equipment in bulk. Horizontal smoke extraction technology has increased smoke exhaust efficiency by 40%. Incidents are handled within minutes, with a fully digitalized, closed-loop process, strengthening the safety framework for cross-sea passage.
Facing dual peaks in flights and passenger traffic during May Day, Chengdu Tianfu International Airport relies on its A-CDM (Airport Collaborative Decision Making) system to create a "digital brain." This system shares nearly 400 operational data points and enables fully visualized management of 20 flight turnaround milestones. For delayed arrivals, a "quick turnaround" plan can be activated with one click, reducing average ground handling time per flight by 20 minutes. The system precisely calculates takeoff sequences, prioritizing on-time performance for popular routes. Nearly one hundred intelligent systems work in coordination, using considerate algorithms to enhance both flight punctuality and passenger comfort.
With concentrated holiday travel between Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, the Nanjing Metro's network-level intelligent coordinated train dispatch system breaks down inter-provincial data barriers. By integrating AI with multi-source data including ticketing, scenic spot information, and weather, it accurately forecasts network-wide passenger flow trends. This allows for dynamic optimization of train schedules and intervals, ensuring precise matching of transport capacity with passenger demand. The system extends operating hours at key hubs to seamlessly connect with returning national railway passengers. It provides intelligent early warnings for equipment failures and heavy passenger congestion, enabling cross-line coordinated responses with a single command. This shifts the approach from reactive to proactive, improving intercity travel efficiency and emergency support capabilities.
Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport is expected to handle 417,000 passengers during the May Day period. A key 2025 project, the upgrade of its A-CDM system positions, uses algorithms to precisely predict aircraft landing and turnaround times. Electronic flight progress strips and a departure pushback sequencing system have increased flight control efficiency by nearly 30%, reducing average ground waiting times by approximately 6 minutes. The normalized operation of a dual-runway "independent departure + related approach" mode has significantly shortened taxiing and holding times for flights.
Tianjin Metro is anticipated to exceed 10 million passenger trips during the holiday. It safeguards the large passenger flow through a dual technological framework of "Smart Stations" and a network-level intelligent platform. At Cultural Center Station, station opening and closing can be executed in 200 seconds with one click, while an intelligent image recognition system has substantially shortened security check durations. At Zhigu Station, AI video monitoring assesses passenger density, and intelligent voice broadcasts guide passenger distribution. The network platform utilizes a four-tier passenger flow warning system and advanced weather forecasting to increase train frequencies, optimize transfer guidance, effectively alleviate congestion at interchange points, and build a comprehensive, station-line-network smart management network.
Liaoning Expressways forecast exit traffic volume of 8.5 million vehicles during the holiday, a 6.9% year-on-year increase. The core technologies involve the "Liaogao Xiao E" AI large model combined with an integrated air-ground intelligent sensing network. AI event recognition accuracy exceeds 95%, with a response time of just 12 seconds. Widespread adoption of unattended toll lanes and compound toll collection techniques tackles congestion at toll plazas. The system facilitates instant coordination between transport, traffic police, and rescue services, with increased rescue point coverage enabling rapid incident handling and claims settlement. Road condition information is disseminated simultaneously through multiple channels, ensuring the safety and order of key routes like the Beijing-Harbin Expressway.
From metro networks to airport hubs, and from expressway systems to cross-sea passages, intelligent forecasting, precise scheduling, and efficient emergency response form the core capabilities ensuring smooth travel during the May Day holiday. Technology empowers these systems, using digital intelligence to safeguard every segment of the holiday journey.
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