民航首乘服务标准实施：首次来华乘机能得到哪些帮助

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China's First-Time Flyer Service Standard: Help for New Arrivals

The Civil Aviation Administration of China has issued the industry standard MH/T 1090-2026, Service Requirements for First-Time Air Passengers, effective from October 2026. It is the first industry standard in Chinese civil aviation devoted to first-time flyers, covering service facilities and signage, information, ticketing and reservations, ground service, cabin service, services for international first-time passengers, and irregular-flight service. A dedicated section on international first-time passengers addresses exit-and-entry reminders, guidance through customs and border inspection, and English-language interfaces. Here is what a first-time visitor to China can actually use.

• The standard: MH/T 1090-2026, issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China and effective from October 2026. It guides airlines, airport operators, ground handlers, sales agents, booking platforms and aviation information providers in serving first-time passengers within China.
• Who counts as a first-time passenger: anyone flying for the first time, including — but not limited to — those taking a domestic flight, an international or regional flight, a connecting itinerary, or a combined air-plus-other-transport product for the first time. People flying an airline for the first time, or departing from or arriving at an airport for the first time, may also be treated as first-time passengers.
• Counters and identification: airports are encouraged to set up one or more first-time passenger counters in terminal buildings or city terminals, ideally at entrances or in clearly visible positions, and to give passengers wristbands, stickers or electronic tags. Staff are encouraged to wear vests, sashes or badges marked first-time passenger service or similar wording.
• Reservations: providers should publish the booking window, channels, scope and method of the service. Online channels include official websites, WeChat accounts, apps, mini-programs and service hotlines; offline channels include first-time passenger counters, ticket counters and check-in counters.
• Guidance along the way: assistance at ticketing, check-in, security, boarding, connections, transfers and baggage claim, with full-journey escort where conditions require it.
• Cabin service: on request, help finding a seat, fastening the seat belt, locating the lavatory and call button, and explanations of what to expect during taxi, take-off and landing, including how to ease discomfort.
• International first-time passengers: providers should remind travellers of exit-and-entry requirements, guide them through customs and border inspection and help them complete clearance. Reservation platforms should offer at least an English interface and service, add other languages as needed, and design products that reflect the push to make travel easier for foreign nationals.
• When flights are disrupted: providers should help passengers with refunds, rebooking and date changes.

How to use it: when booking, register through the first-time passenger section on the airline's website, app or mini-program and say it is your first flight. Alternatively, go to the first-time passenger counter at the airport, or raise it at check-in. The standard asks reservation platforms to offer at least an English interface and service, so travellers who cannot read Chinese signage can ask for English-language help.

The most useful part after landing in China is the international first-time passenger section: from stepping off the aircraft through customs and border inspection to baggage claim and a domestic connection, you can ask for guidance. Note that many provisions use should or are encouraged to rather than must — they are recommendations, and how fully each airport and airline implements them varies. What remains mandatory is the legal paperwork: passport, visa, arrival card and the like. Treat the service as extra help, not a substitute for clearance formalities.

Background: the programme began in the northwest region in 2021 and was later extended nationwide by the civil aviation authority. According to administration statistics, carriers and airports have handled more than 60 million first-time passengers since the programme started. For someone flying for the first time — especially across a language barrier — check-in, security, boarding and connections are where things most often go wrong, and identifying yourself as a first-time flyer removes a lot of friction.