Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
Encyclopedia
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport is a major airport serving Chengdu
, the capital city of Sichuan Province, China
. It is located in the north of Shuangliu County
, about 16 kilometres (10 mi) southwest of downtown Chengdu.
In 2010 Shuangliu Airport handled 25,805,815 passengers to rank the 6th busiest in mainland China and the 51st in the world. It was also the 6th busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic and the 6th busiest by traffic movements in China for 2009.
On May 12, 2008 the airport was temporarily shut down after sustaining some minor damages from the great Sichuan Earthquake
but was quickly reopened the following day after inspection of the runway. The continued operation of the airport played a crucial role in facilitating the rescue work after the earthquake.
There is also a long-term plan to build a second airport in Jintang County
with five runways. Upon completion, it will take less than 30 minutes to travel from Jintang to downtown Chengdu.
(1937-45) and World War II
. At the time, it possessed only earth surface for small biplanes to take off and touch down, where the Nationalist Chinese Air Force
Polikarpov I-15
fighters of the 5th Pursuit Group were based for aerial defense of the Chengdu area against Japanese bomber raids; this following the Chinese retreat from Wuhan
to Chongqing
as the new provisional capital in face of the Imperial Japanese onslaught.
During World War II
, the airport was known as Shwangliu (Shuangliu) Airfield and was later used by the United States Army Air Forces
Fourteenth Air Force
as part of the China Defensive Campaign (1942–1945). It was used as a fighter base by the 33d Fighter Group, which flew P-47 Thunderbolt
figher-bombers from the airport in 1944 to support Chinese ground forces, and also by reconnaissance units that operated camera-equipped P-38 Lightning
s that located Japanese forces and provided intelligence to the fighter-bombers. The Americans closed their facilities at Shwangliu Airfield at the end of August 1945.
On December 12, 1956, the Shuangguisi Airport was put under civil aviation, which was then formally listed as a civil aviation airport and renamed Chengdu Shuangliu Airport. In 1957, the flights of Chengdu civil aviation were shifted to Shuangliu Airport from Guanghan Airport. The flight courses from Chengdu were thus opened to various cities within China including Beijing, Taiyuan, Xi An, Chongqing, Kunming, Guiyang, Nanchong, etc. The airport went through several earlier expansions in 1959, 1967, 1983 and 1991 respectively.
. The newly built terminal building was incorporated with three-parallel-porch design, accommodating an hourly capacity of 3,500 passengers at rush hours, while the previous terminal building was only designated for regional flights within Sichuan
and Chongqing
henceforth.
The airport is now an international civil airport with flights to more than 20 international destinations and many domestic airports, and is a hub for Chengdu Airlines, Air China
and Sichuan Airlines
. It is linked to downtown Chengdu by an expressway.
The construction of its second runway started from late 2008 and has started service in December 2009. The completed new runway, with 3,600 m length and 60 m width, upgraded the previous flight area rating from 4E to 4F, capable of handling the Airbus A380
.
The new Terminal 2 has started construction in June 2009 and is expected to be in service in 2011. The new terminal is twice the size of the current T1, which will allow the airport to handle up to 35 million passengers annually by the time of completion.
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, the capital city of Sichuan Province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is located in the north of Shuangliu County
Shuangliu County
Shuangliu County is a county in the southwestern part of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, China. Located approximately 19 kilometers away from downtown Chengdu, the county covers 1068 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 920,000...
, about 16 kilometres (10 mi) southwest of downtown Chengdu.
In 2010 Shuangliu Airport handled 25,805,815 passengers to rank the 6th busiest in mainland China and the 51st in the world. It was also the 6th busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic and the 6th busiest by traffic movements in China for 2009.
On May 12, 2008 the airport was temporarily shut down after sustaining some minor damages from the great Sichuan Earthquake
2008 Sichuan earthquake
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake or the Great Sichuan Earthquake was a deadly earthquake that measured at 8.0 Msand 7.9 Mw occurred at 14:28:01 CST...
but was quickly reopened the following day after inspection of the runway. The continued operation of the airport played a crucial role in facilitating the rescue work after the earthquake.
There is also a long-term plan to build a second airport in Jintang County
Jintang County
Jintang County is a county in the eastern part of Chengdu City, the capital of Sichuan province, in Southwest China. Located approximately 28 kilometers away from downtown Chengdu, the county covers 1154 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 870,000. The large majority of the...
with five runways. Upon completion, it will take less than 30 minutes to travel from Jintang to downtown Chengdu.
History
The airport, formerly named Shuangguisi Airport, opened in capacity as an auxiliary military airfield in 1938 during the second Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
(1937-45) and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. At the time, it possessed only earth surface for small biplanes to take off and touch down, where the Nationalist Chinese Air Force
Republic of China Air Force
The Republic of China Air Force is the aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The ROCAF's primary mission is the defense of the airspace over and around Taiwan...
Polikarpov I-15
Polikarpov I-15
The Polikarpov I-15 was a Soviet biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. Nicknamed Chaika because of its gulled upper wings, it was operated in large numbers by the Soviet Air Force, and together with the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane, was one of the standard fighters of the Spanish Republicans during...
fighters of the 5th Pursuit Group were based for aerial defense of the Chengdu area against Japanese bomber raids; this following the Chinese retreat from Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
to Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
as the new provisional capital in face of the Imperial Japanese onslaught.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the airport was known as Shwangliu (Shuangliu) Airfield and was later used by the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
Fourteenth Air Force
Fourteenth Air Force
The Fourteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command . It is headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California....
as part of the China Defensive Campaign (1942–1945). It was used as a fighter base by the 33d Fighter Group, which flew P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
figher-bombers from the airport in 1944 to support Chinese ground forces, and also by reconnaissance units that operated camera-equipped P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
s that located Japanese forces and provided intelligence to the fighter-bombers. The Americans closed their facilities at Shwangliu Airfield at the end of August 1945.
On December 12, 1956, the Shuangguisi Airport was put under civil aviation, which was then formally listed as a civil aviation airport and renamed Chengdu Shuangliu Airport. In 1957, the flights of Chengdu civil aviation were shifted to Shuangliu Airport from Guanghan Airport. The flight courses from Chengdu were thus opened to various cities within China including Beijing, Taiyuan, Xi An, Chongqing, Kunming, Guiyang, Nanchong, etc. The airport went through several earlier expansions in 1959, 1967, 1983 and 1991 respectively.
Current State
A large-scale expansion was conducted on flight area and navigation area from 1994 to 2001. The runway was extended to 3,600m with Class 4E rating, allowing for larger jumbo jets including Boeing 747-400Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
. The newly built terminal building was incorporated with three-parallel-porch design, accommodating an hourly capacity of 3,500 passengers at rush hours, while the previous terminal building was only designated for regional flights within Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
and Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
henceforth.
The airport is now an international civil airport with flights to more than 20 international destinations and many domestic airports, and is a hub for Chengdu Airlines, Air China
Air China
Air China is the flag carrier and one of the major airlines of the People's Republic of China. Based in Beijing Capital International Airport, Air China is the world's 10th largest airline by fleet size. The airline ranked behind its main competitors China Southern Airlines and China Eastern...
and Sichuan Airlines
Sichuan Airlines
Sichuan Airlines Co., Ltd. is a regional airline headquartered on the grounds of Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, Sichuan in the People's Republic of China, operating mainly scheduled domestic flights out of Chengdu Airport and Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport.- History...
. It is linked to downtown Chengdu by an expressway.
The construction of its second runway started from late 2008 and has started service in December 2009. The completed new runway, with 3,600 m length and 60 m width, upgraded the previous flight area rating from 4E to 4F, capable of handling the Airbus A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
.
The new Terminal 2 has started construction in June 2009 and is expected to be in service in 2011. The new terminal is twice the size of the current T1, which will allow the airport to handle up to 35 million passengers annually by the time of completion.