For an airport hub, the core value lies in facilitating passenger connections. In 2025, Pudong Airport handled 13.75 million transfer passengers, marking a 14% year-on-year increase, with a transfer rate reaching 16.2%. This scale places it among the national leaders and at the forefront in Northeast Asia. This achievement is built upon the continuous expansion of Shanghai's aviation hub network and the ongoing refinement of its transfer service system in recent years, actively establishing it as the preferred choice for global connecting passengers.
Shanghai International Airport Co.,Ltd. aligns with the Civil Aviation Administration's "One Circle, Six Corridors, Five Passageways" plan and the deepening implementation of the "Trunk-Branch Connectivity, Full Network Linkage" initiative. It supports airlines in launching and increasing flight frequencies, regularly connecting to 302 destinations across 53 countries globally. The number of countries served has reached a record high, creating more possibilities for convenient passenger connections.
In 2025, at the North Bund International Shipping Forum, Shanghai Airports launched the "Shanghai Connection · Easy Transfer" brand. This initiative enhances transfer capabilities across all business types and the entire service chain, continuously improving passenger experience, comfort, and satisfaction.
Intra-Terminal Air-to-Air Transfer
The interline and through-check-in functionality (one-time check-in, baggage through-check, worry-free transfer) at Pudong Airport's Terminal 1 continues to be perfected. Five airlines, including China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Air France, and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, now operate international transfer services from this terminal. The interline and through-check-in function at Terminal 2 has been newly activated, with 12 airlines such as Juneyao Air, Air China, Spring Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Air New Zealand, EVA Air, Lufthansa, and Swiss International Air Lines already conducting international flight transfer operations.
Cross-Terminal Air-to-Air Transfer
In April of this year, Shanghai Airports partnered with China Eastern Airlines (including Shanghai Airlines) and Juneyao Air to pioneer a cross-airline, cross-terminal transfer service. The "Qingdao-Shanghai-Singapore" route served as the initial pilot, allowing passengers to complete check-in and baggage through-check in one go at their point of origin. On June 16th, the service entered its second phase of expansion. Domestically, four new cities—Zhengzhou, Changsha, Xiamen, and Lanzhou—were added. Internationally, connecting destinations were extended to ten intercontinental points including New York, Los Angeles, and Sydney. This truly achieves a seamless transfer experience characterized by "one-time check-in, baggage through-check, smooth cross-terminal transit, and mutual through-transfer."
Transfer Between Pudong and Hongqiao Airports
Following the opening of the Shanghai Airport Link Line, travel time between Pudong and Hongqiao airports has been reduced to 40 minutes, providing greater convenience for transfers between the two airports. Leveraging this link, the airport authority, in collaboration with China Eastern Airlines, has set up dedicated service counters at both airports to offer passengers services like cross-airport advance check-in and baggage drop-off. Simultaneously, it is actively involved in promoting initiatives such as equipping the link line with baggage carriages and renovating platforms to better serve aviation functions and enhance Pudong Airport's radiating capacity to the broader Yangtze River Delta hinterland market.
Air-Ground Intermodal Transport
In 2023, Shanghai Airports, in partnership with the Suzhou Industrial Park, established the Shanghai Airport Suzhou City Terminal. This became the nation's first off-site city terminal equipped to handle both international and domestic flight check-in. It saves passengers an average of over half an hour per air journey. With 18 domestic and international airlines operating from it, it provides a convenient travel environment for passengers from the Yangtze River Delta region flying out of Shanghai. This successful model has been replicated and promoted in the Suzhou High-tech Zone and Kunshan. Currently, these three off-site city terminals serve nearly 500 passengers daily on average.
Furthermore, Shanghai Airports, together with China Eastern Airlines and China State Railway Group, has set up an Air-Rail Intermodal Transfer Service Center at Hongqiao Railway Station, offering check-in and baggage drop-off services for both major airports.
Comfortable Transfer Experience
Shanghai Airports is also proactively advancing hardware upgrades and service facility expansions within transfer zones to make passenger connections more efficient and comfortable. In April this year, the international transfer hall at Pudong Airport's Terminal 1 completed its renovation, with self-service verification gates increased to 13 units. The expansion and renovation of the international-to-international transfer hall at Terminal 2 are nearing completion. Nine free overnight rest areas, known for their comfort and comprehensive facilities, have become popular social media check-in spots. Independent rest pods, 24-hour free shower rooms, and 4-to-6-hour transit hotel rooms at the airport better cater to the diverse needs of different passenger types.
Bilingual guidance signage in Chinese and English is deployed throughout the facilities. Scanning a QR code unlocks audio guides in nine languages, allowing passengers to plan their optimal transfer route with a single click. Additionally, Shanghai Airports, in collaboration with the Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau and Trip.com Group, has launched a free half-day Shanghai tour service. Three curated tour routes connect iconic landmarks such as Yu Garden, the Bund, the Wukang Building, and Huangpu River cruises, providing complimentary round-trip transportation and foreign-language guided commentary.
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