Haikou is served by Haikou Meilan International Airport (HAK), the main airport for Hainan Island and the capital of Hainan Province for arrivals into Haikou. It functions as a key domestic gateway to the island from mainland China and an important international hub, particularly for flights from Southeast Asia to HAK, leveraging Hainan's status as a tourist destination and free-trade port for arrivals at Haikou.
The most frequent and affordable flights to Haikou are domestic routes from mainland China to HAK. Key origins include Beijing (PEK/PKX), Shanghai (PVG/SHA), Guangzhou (CAN), Shenzhen (SZX), and Chengdu (TFU) to Haikou. Internationally, Haikou offers a wide network of direct flights from Southeast Asian cities to HAK like Bangkok (BKK), Singapore (SIN), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Phnom Penh (PNH), and Vientiane (VTE) to Haikou, as well as from regional hubs like Seoul (ICN) and Taipei (TPE) to HAK. It is also a major arrival point for visitors from Russia to Haikou.
The market for flights to Haikou is highly competitive. Hainan Airlines, headquartered on the island, uses Haikou as a major base alongside Sanya, offering extensive domestic and international networks into HAK. All other major Chinese carriers operate significant routes to Haikou. Low-cost carriers like Spring Airlines and 9 Air provide budget options to HAK. Internationally, numerous Southeast Asian carriers and charter operators serve the airport to Haikou, especially for Russian tourist traffic arriving at HAK.
To secure cheap flights to Haikou, book domestic flights 3-6 weeks in advance for arrival at HAK. For international travel to Haikou from Southeast Asia, start searching 2-4 months ahead for flights to HAK—fares are often very competitive into Haikou. Utilize Haikou's strategic role as Hainan's administrative capital to reach HAK; it can be a less expensive and less crowded alternative to Sanya (SYX) for accessing the island. Flying mid-week to HAK yields lower fares into Haikou. Travel to Haikou during the shoulder seasons (spring and autumn) avoids the peak winter tourist rush and highest prices into HAK.