Keith Michael David, a US citizen, was among the first travelers to use a new 24-hour direct transit policy at Haikou Meilan International Airport on Wednesday.

David, who arrived in Haikou from Singapore, transferred directly to the departure lounge for his connecting flight to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region after a security check and identity verification, bypassing the standard immigration inspection.

"This transfer method is so convenient," he said. "I didn't need to collect my luggage or go through immigration procedures."