DOMESTIC flights and passenger volume at Shanghai Pudong International Airport are back to 2019 levels as the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday approaches.

Despite the suspension of many international flights, there were long queues of departing passengers in the T2 terminal yesterday afternoon, along with many arrivals.

About 900 domestic flights are expected to take off and land at the airport every day during the eight-day Golden Week holiday beginning from Thursday, the same as last year, the Shanghai Airport Authority said.

About 130,000 travelers will pass through the airport each day.

“The airport authority and domestic airlines have reallocated the time slots of international flights to popular domestic routes to tap the rising demand for domestic travel,” saidHuZhihong, Pudong airport’s general manager.

Popular destinations among travelers this year includeKunminginYunnan Province, Chongqing, Hainan, Chengdu inSichuan Province, LanzhouandDunhuanginGansuProvince, cities in theNingxia Hui Autonomous Region andHohhotin Inner Mongolia. Due to the pandemic and restrictions on overseas travel, there are fewer bookings for overseas flights, but bookings for domestic travel have increase rapidly, Shanghai-based Spring Airlines said.

With more travelers, businesses at the terminal buildings are gradually recovering, saidXieXin’an, an official in charge of business operations at the Pudong airport.

To ensure safety, shops and restaurants are required to prepare hand sanitizer and many stores havecontactlesspayments.

The airport authority launched a campaign yesterday to boost consumption, while promoting Shanghai’s time-honored brands and official souvenirs.

The Shanghai Great Gift campaign launched with the Shanghai Consumer Council aims to drive consumption and promote Shanghai souvenirs.

The city’s best specialty products will be sold and exhibited at the terminal buildings of both Pudong and Hongqiao airports.

The souvenirs include White Rabbit candies,Xing Hua Lou

mooncakesand Hero pens.

A retrospective exhibition of Shanghai’s time-honored brands has opened at terminal 2, where visitors can enter a lucky draw with their flight tickets to win souvenirs or discounts.