City airports roll out welcome mat for CIIE guests
A staff member offers a remote video translation service to a customer at Pudong International Airport.
Shanghai’s two airports have upgraded facilities and improved services to better serve visitors attending the third China International Import Expo (CIIE).
Hongqiao and Pudong international airports will officially launch four specialized service centers for travelers on arrival on Wednesday.
Volunteers and staff at the centers will offer services in English, Japanese, Korean and other foreign languages, the Shanghai Airport Authority said on Sunday, which marks the 10-day countdown to the opening of the annual event.
A large number of delegations and exhibitors for the CIIE have arrived in the city through Hongqiao and Pudong airports. Hundreds of tons of exhibits are also being transported to the city through the cargo terminal of Pudong airport.
“Both COVID-19 prevention and the airports’ operation will be absolutely safe during the CIIE,” the airport authority said.
To better serve guests from across the world, airport staff have been equipped with a portable translation device which can interpret 62 languages. Remote translation and sign language services can also be provided through video links.
The airports have also upgraded multilingual signage covering some 1,700 square meters across the terminals to make it clearer for foreign travelers to reach various exits.
A group of airport staff who can speak fluent foreign languages have also been assigned to customer service posts such as the service counters, electric shuttle bus stations and trolley hubs. They can offer guidance, traffic information and pick up luggage for CIIE participants and other passengers.
Airport staff are equipped with portable translation devices which can interpret 62 languages.
Thirty-two sales areas have also been set up across both terminals to sell disposable facial masks, hand sterilization gel, disinfection wipes and other novel coronavirus protection supplies.
The airports have finished the expansion of VIP service facilities to serve important CIIE guests. A new VIP lounge has been put into operation at the southern section of Hongqiao airport after a half-year renovation with the space increased 1.5 times. New VIP rooms, restaurants and meeting rooms are also ready to serve customers.
Renovations have also been completed on the VIP lounges at the D and H sections at Pudong airport.
CIIE decorations have been placed across the airports’ arrival and departure regions. Traditional Chinese cultures are also highlighted in the new decorations.
Pudong airport has launched an exhibition to showcase the Jiangnan (regions in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) cultures. Over 7,000 plants and flowers have been arranged across the airport, along with some 80 Jinbao, or the mascot of the CIIE.
Volunteers and staff at the airports' service centers can offer services in English, Japanese, Korean and other foreign languages.
Cultural parades will be held regularly during the CIIE which will run between November 5 and 10 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Qingpu District. The city’s heritage skills and traditional Chinese operas will be performed during the parades.
Hongqiao airport has launched eight themed greenery sculptures, featuring the emblem and mascot of the CIIE. More than 150,000 flowers and plants flank the main roads to the airport. Eleven key roads around the airport will be cleaned and washed with high pressure canons at night.
During the 2nd CIIE last year, more than 3 million people from home and abroad traveled to or from Shanghai through Pudong and Hongqiao airports, up 7 percent from 2018.
The two airports handled a total of 21,454 international and domestic flights between November 1 and 10, 2019, a 6.38 percent increase on year, including many business and charter flights carrying high-ranking delegates.
Despite the large volume, the punctuality rates at both airports were above 90 percent during the 2nd CIIE.
A garden themed decoration with CIIE mascot Jinbao at Pudong International Airport.
A transport service center at Pudong airport.
A comprehensive customer service center at Hongqiao International Airport.
A CIIE themed garden at Hongqiao airport.
A large interactive screen to introduce the CIIE at Pudong airport.
Screens at the ticket counters of Pudong airport display the CIIE slogan and mascot.
Nearby roads have been cleaned and decorated with flowers to welcome CIIE exhibitors.
