URUMQI, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The 19 airports in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region welcomed more than 30 million passengers in 2017, a record high.

The figure indicated annual growth of more than 14 percent compared with 2016, according to the region's civil aviation administration.

The airports also handled about 188,000 tonnes of cargo and mail and 359,000 flights last year.

The opening of more flight routes contributed to passenger growth at the region's airports.

Xinjiang's civil aviation market is burgeoning. The number of passengers using Xinjiang airports exceeded 10 million in 2010 and 20 million in 2014.

Xinjiang invested about 3.15 billion yuan (480 million U.S. dollars) to build and expand airports last year, up 230 percent year on year.

Currently, 49 airlines in Xinjiang operate 257 air routes connecting the regional capital Urumqi with 73 domestic cities and 24 overseas cities.