Passengers can now gain access to six new online services on the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport page on the VariFlight app, the airport announced at the 100-day countdown swearing-in conference for the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai on July 26.

The new passenger service products include the reservation of electric vehicles, green channels for special passengers, customized busses and VIP lounge.

Thanks to the electric vehicle reservation, travelers can now cut their commuting time between the Hongqiao Airport to the Hongqiao high-speed railway station and the terminals. The elderlies and the people with disabilities can now have access to the service free of charge.

People can make reservations on the VariFlight app to receive priority check-in, frontier inspection, security inspection and boarding privileges. After the reservation, unaccompanied children travelling alone will be treated with extra care.

The 19-seat customized buses are available at the bus station in front of the transport hub building at Terminal 1. The route stops in Gubei and Longbai residential communities.

At Terminal 2, passengers can get aboard at the north area of Gate No 1 on the first floor of the Arrival Hall and get off at stops including Xinzhuang and Qibao.

These buses run during the following rush hours: 12:00-14:00, 16:00-20:00, 22:00 - the last flight of the day.

Business travelers can enjoy VIP service in the 21-meter Floor Lounge at T2 after online reservation.

All these newly added functions are part of the airport’s efforts to improve its services.

Since the beginning of the year, Hongqiao Airport has been renovating its facilities, including the terminals, transport hubs, main roads, green spaces, parking garages, river course and overhead transmission lines.

It has completed the renovation projects of 26 roads linking to the P6 and P7 parking garages, involving a length of 5,460 meters and 12,000 square meters of asphalt pavement.

By mid-July, the improvement projects have been carried out in 46,000 sq m of road landscape, 39,000 sq m of public green space, 3.6 km of water course nearby and 10,600 sq m of greenery along the river surrounding the airport.

These efforts were also made to offer better service to the CIIE, which will be held in the city from Nov 5 to 10.

The airport said that it will strive to provide more considerate, intelligent and passenger-oriented service and continue to upgrade its facilities and services.

As one of large airports operating tens of millions of flights, Hongqiao handled more than 40 million flights in 2017. It gained international recognition in terms of full-self-service and passenger services as it was certificated as a “Platinum Airport”, the top award granted by International Air Transport Association (IATA) earlier this year.

The swearing-in conference was also attended by the CAAC East China Regional Administration, CAAC Air Traffic Management Bureau, Shanghai Airport Authority, airlines, the customs, frontier inspection stations in the airport, as well as local government officials and enterprises.