The number of travelers who flew through Pudong International Airport on their way to other foreign countries has more than doubled since authorities stopped inspecting passengers on layovers between international flights, border authorities announced at a press conference Wednesday.

The increase is the result of a pilot program to attract more international flights and foreign passengers to the airport, said Lu Zhitao, deputy director of the Shanghai General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.

"The new policy has benefited both the airport and Chinese airlines as it will bring them more international customers," Lu said. "It is also crucial if Shanghai wants to build the airport into a global aviation hub."

On March 15, authorities stopped inspecting passengers who stopped at the airport in transit to another foreign country. Before the start of the pilot program, all passengers passing through the airport had to be inspected, even if they didn't cross the border.

Lu said 93,000 transit passengers passed through Pudong International Airport between March 15 and July 20, a 139.9 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, the policy only applies to passengers who have two connecting international flights and don't stay at the airport for more than 24 hours.

The Shanghai General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection is also considering granting visa waivers to more transit passengers and extending the 48-hour stay to 72 hours.

The local authorities first introduced visa waivers for transit passengers in 2000, allowing foreign tourists from 17 nationalities to travel within China for 48 hours, according to Chinanews.com.

Authorities at the conference provided no details on the plan.

Challenged by the increasing tourist volume, the authorities have sent more officers to Shanghai's two airports.

"There have been more tourists travelling across the border at the two airports this year. And the number is increasing faster than the same period last year. So we have sent another 200 officers to shorten the time  it takes to cross the border to about four minutes," Lu said.