The opening of Shanghai Disney Resort, the first on the Chinese mainland, is expected to bring three to four million more air travelers to Shanghai each year and reshape the city's civil aviation market, 21st Century Business Herald reported.

During Shanghai Expo 2010, the passenger throughput increased by 25 and 30% at the city's Hongqiao and Pudong airports respectively, totalling 70 million trips.

It's estimated that between 20 and 30% of tourists would take planes to visit Shanghai, said Dong Bo, a marketing manager at China Eastern Airlines.

A number of carriers, including China Eastern, Spring, Juneyao and China Southern are all working on new routes or better services to take advantage of the tourist attraction.

China Eastern said it would increase its passenger carrying capacity by 3% in July. The company also entered into a multi-year alliance as an official sponsor of Shanghai Disney Resort, with its planes decorated with specially-created Disney designs.

Low-cost carrier Spring also plans to introduce eight new planes by the end of June, with half reserved for the Shanghai market.

The city's civil aviation market was traditionally dominated by business trips but the possible influx of tourists to the theme park will change the landscape, the report said.

Airlines also plan to adjust routes so that theme park tourists may visit cities around Shanghai, including Hangzhou, Ningbo and Wuxi.

Read original article