At approximately 3:00 PM on October 20, a SCAT Airlines flight touched down at Sanya Phoenix International Airport. One of the passengers arriving from Shymkent, Kazakhstan, was Darya, who is set to enjoy a week-long seaside vacation in Sanya. Following a brief stopover for refueling and servicing, the aircraft continued on to Singapore. This route connects Shymkent, Sanya, and Singapore, with Sanya serving as a transit hub bridging Central and Southeast Asia.

The launch of the new Shymkent ⇌ Sanya ⇌Singapore route marks another milestone in the implementation of the "fifth-freedom of the air" policy in the Hainan Free Trade Port. Fifth-freedom rights allow airlines to carry passengers and cargo between two foreign countries while making a stopover in a third country. Thanks to the policy, the new route brings transit passenger traffic to Sanya and establishes an inter-regional aerial link between Central and Southeast Asia. This enhances the operational flexibility and market value of the island’s international routes while strengthening Sanya’s role as an international aviation hub.

Zhang Hao, Deputy Director of the Sanya Tourism Board, noted that Sanya previously opened three other fifth-freedom passenger routes: the Phnom Penh ⇌Sanya ⇌Singapore route, which connects cities within Southeast Asia; the Frankfurt ⇌Bangkok ⇌Sanya route, where Sanya serves as an endpoint rather than a transit point; and the Ulaanbaatar ⇌Sanya ⇌Ulan-Ude route, which focuses on the North Asian market. The new route is the first to connect the Central and Southeast Asian travel markets, with Sanya positioned in the middle to serve as a transit hub.

To date, the Haikou Meilan International Airport has opened a total of four fifth-freedom routes. Sanya Phoenix International Airport currently operates four fifth-freedom passenger routes and one fifth-freedom cargo route. Additionally, Sanya hosts a seventh-freedom passenger route connecting to Prague, the first of its kind to be operated in China.

The first passenger route in Hainan to operate under ‘fifth freedom of the air’ rights, the Phnom Penh ⇌Sanya ⇌Singapore service offers an important model. According to Mr. Bai Guowei, Vice President of Cambodia Airways, the fifth freedom policy allows the airline to carry passengers not only between Phnom Penh and Sanya, but also, within the scope of its authorization, between Sanya and Singapore, effectively "serving three markets with a single route." Operating on Tuesdays and Saturdays with a stopover in Sanya and an evening return leg, the service integrates travel and business demand from different markets to enhance operational efficiency.

To date, Hainan has launched five passenger routes connecting the island province to Kazakhstan, establishing air links with the three cities of Almaty, Astana, and Shymkent, each with a population exceeding one million. Kazakhstan has now become the second-largest source of travelers to Sanya. Some of these travelers choose to stay in Sanya for a coastal getaway, while others transit onward to Singapore, making this a single flight catering to different travel needs across three different destinations.

To accommodate this influx, Sanya has adopted a strategy of ‘filling gaps in the route network and innovating operational models’. The city has opened 27 overseas tourism promotion liaison offices to cultivate new source markets. Sanya has also streamlined inbound customs clearance, enhanced multilingual services, implemented passport-friendly consumer initiatives, and collaborated with the tourism industry to develop multifaceted travel products. From January to September 2026, the number of overnight inbound visitors in Sanya increased by approximately 45% year-on-year, with total spending by these travelers rising by about 67%.

The new route connecting Shymkent, Sanya, and Singapore reflects the Hainan Free Trade Port’s strategic plan for air connectivity with Central and Southeast Asia. As Sanya evolves from a mere terminus for international routes into a transit hub, the nature of the tropical resort city’s connections with external markets is undergoing a significant transformation.