Shanghai leads airport economy rankings, Macao fastest growing

Shanghai took the top spot while Macao posted the fastest growth in a new ranking measuring how China's airports and their surrounding regions translate air traffic into economic gains.

The report, recently released by the Aviation Economics and Improvement Research Institute of the Civil Aviation University of China in Tianjin, assessed provinces, cities, districts and airports based on 2024 passenger and cargo throughput, aircraft movements and related GDP. Hong Kong and Macao were included in the report.

Founded in 1990, the institute said in a statement that the rankings are designed to connect international aviation practices with China's development path, offering guidance for airlines seeking efficiency and for local governments aiming to attract investment.

At the provincial level, Jiangsu ranked first, with its aviation-linked cities generating a combined GDP of 12.69 trillion yuan ($1.78 trillion), despite having only seven transport airports. Guangdong came second with 10.13 trillion yuan, followed by Shandong and Zhejiang.

Among major cities with large airports, Shanghai overtook Beijing with a GDP of 5.39 trillion yuan. Hong Kong recorded growth of 6.8 percent, while Macao surged 8.8 percent, the highest among aviation cities nationwide.

In districts hosting major airports, Shanghai's Pudong New Area outpaced Beijing's Chaoyang District, while Macao's Taipa Island reported GDP growth of 9 percent, leading its peers.

Airports also registered strong momentum. Shanghai Pudong International Airport ranked first in passenger volume and aircraft movements, while Hong Kong topped cargo throughput. Macao International Airport stood out with passenger, cargo and aircraft movements expanding 48 percent, 69 percent and 41 percent year-on-year, respectively.

The study found that aviation-linked economies in China are expanding faster than the national average. However, the report noted a gap compared with global peers such as New York, whose three major airports handled 146 million passenger trips in 2024 while generating far higher GDP levels.