Xinjiang Urumqi airport recorded 288,000 summer border crossings (up 22%), with foreign travelers surging 64% to 86,000 – driven in part by new direct flights to Bishkek and Hong Kong – while Central Asian traffic rose over 27% to 146,000. As Urumqi prepares to host the SCO Digital Economy Forum this September, the summer travel surge shows that commitments made at the Bishkek summit are steadily translating into tangible on-the-ground connectivity across the region.