Understanding the characteristics and rules of air passenger travel behavior in an airport hinterland plays an important role in forecasting air passenger travel flows, improving airport service levels, and planning urban transportation. Taking Shijiazhuang Airport as an example, this paper studied the travel characteristics of air passengers in the airport hinterland using mobile phone signaling data. The results showed that: ① Air passengers were mainly distributed in Shijiazhuang City (about 70%), and the density of air passengers in urban area was significantly higher than that in other areas. ② The Shijiazhuang Airport had a distance decay effect, and the distance decay characteristics had obvious directivity. ③ The time spent at the airport for departing passengers was longer than that of arriving passengers. And the travel duration distribution characteristics of arriving and departing passengers presented a long-tail effect. The main reason for the distance and time decay characteristics would be that the car is the main collecting and distributing mode of Shijiazhuang Airport. Finally, we provide some recommendations to optimize the single collection and distribution mode of Shijiazhuang Airport. •We analyze the travel behavior of air passengers in an airport hinterland with mobile phone signaling data.•Air passengers are mainly distributed in Shijiazhuang City and the density of air passengers in urban areas is significantly higher.•The distance decay characteristics of Shijiazhuang Airport have obvious directivity.•The transportation modes around Shijiazhuang Airport affect the airport's distance and time decay characteristics.