Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
Airport serving Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (IATA: CAN, ICAO: ZGGG) is an international airport serving Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport 广州白云国际机场 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Co. Ltd. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | Guangdong Airport Authority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Pearl River Delta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Huadu and Baiyun districts, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 5 August 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Focus city for | China Eastern Airlines | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Time zone | China Standard Time (UTC+08:00) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 15 m / 49 ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 23°23′33″N 113°17′56″E | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 CAAC airport diagram | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  CAN/ZGGG Location in Guangdong  CAN/ZGGG Location in China | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2025) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sources:[1], List of the busiest airports in the People's Republic of China | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport | |||||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 广州白云国际机场 | ||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 廣州白雲國際機場 | ||||||||||
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The airport codes were inherited from the former Baiyun Airport, and the IATA code is derived from Guangzhou's historical romanization Canton. Baiyun Airport serves as a hub for China Southern Airlines, FedEx Express, 9 Air, Hainan Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines. In 2020, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation in other countries, it was temporarily the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic, handling 43.8 million passengers.[2]
In 2023, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport was the world's twelfth-busiest airport by passenger traffic, with 63.1 million passengers handled, and the busiest in China. As for cargo traffic, the airport was China's second-busiest and the world's eleventh-busiest. In the first quarter of 2026, Baiyun Airport served total 22.539 million passengers (4.784 million passengers are international), surpassing Pudong Airport with 21.739 million passengers (8.1046 million passengers are international)[3].
Baiyun Airport is certified as a 4-Star airport, while Terminal 2 is classified as a 5-Star Airport Terminal by Skytrax[4].
Overview
1932–2004
The old Baiyun Airport opened in 1932.[5] Due to the expansion of Guangzhou, the airport could not expand to meet passengers needs as buildings and mountains surrounded the airport. On 5 August 2004, the new Baiyun Airport opened and the old airport was closed.[6]
Since 2004
The current airport is located in the outskirts of Guangzhou's Baiyun District and Huadu District and opened on 5 August 2004 as a replacement for the 72-year-old, identically named former airport, which is now closed. Built at a cost of 19.8 billion yuan, the new airport is 28 kilometres (17 mi) north of downtown Guangzhou and nearly five times larger than its predecessor. "Baiyun" (白云) means "white cloud" in Chinese and refers to the Baiyun Mountain (Baiyunshan), near the former airport even though the mountain is much closer to downtown Guangzhou than it is to the new airport. It is also referred to as "New Baiyun" to distinguish it from the previous airport, but this is not a part of the official name.
Former curfews and restrictions did not apply to the new airport, so it could operate 24 hours a day, allowing China Southern Airlines to maximise intercontinental route utilisation with overnight flights. Other airlines also benefit from the removal of previous restrictions.
Data
- Runways: 5 — 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), 3,600 metres (11,800 ft), 3,400 metres (11,200 ft) and 3,600 metres[7] (11,811 ft)
- Airport area: 3,558 acres (14.4km2)[8]
- Aircraft parking bays: 173 (passenger apron and cargo apron)[9]
- Current passenger capacity: 140 million passengers per year
- Current cargo capacity: 6 million tonne[10]
- Destinations: 100 (mostly domestic)
- Branch airports: Jieyang, Meizhou, Zhanjiang
Facilities
Terminal 1
Terminal 1 has three components, Main Terminal, Area A and Area B. All check-in counters and most retail stores are placed at the Main Terminal. The two concourses controlled by individual security checkpoints, named Area A and Area B, are the boarding gates, security checkpoints, border control, customs and quarantine, baggage reclaim and relative facilities.
Since 24 January 2016, East Piers 1 and 2 are dedicated to serve international flights; domestic flights occupy the rest.
From 2:00 am on 7 May 2026, Terminal 1 is temporarily closed for renovation, and flights departing from Terminal 1 are moved to Terminal 2 or 3. All 11 domestic airlines will be moved to Terminal 3.[11][12].
After January 21, 2026, the following airlines serve Terminal 1:[13]
- Air China
- Shandong Airlines
- Hainan Airlines (domestic flights only)
- Tianjin Airlines
- Shenzhen Airlines (domestic flights only)
- Urumqi Air
- Kunming Airlines
- Tibet Airlines
- Capital Airlines
- Lucky Air
- West Air
Terminal 1 exterior
Departure lobby A at Terminal 1
Check-in area
Interior of Terminal 1
A boarding gate at Terminal 1
Baggage claim at Terminal 1
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Terminal 2
Terminal 2 opened on 26 April 2018, with an area measuring over 808,700 square metres, making it one of the world's largest airport terminal facilities, designed to handle over 45 million passengers annually. It offers more modern facilites than Terminal 1. It consists of 4 levels:
- Level 1: Arrival hall and baggage claim
- Level 2: Domestic departures/arrivals and international arrivals
- Level 3: Check-in hall and international departures
- Level 4: Commercial area featuring food courts and premium lounges, alongside Gates A168-A173
Terminal 2 consists of over 35 remote gates and 56 jetbridges. The western side of the terminal, known as the B gates, solely serves domestic flights. The eastern side of the terminal, known as the A gates, solely serve international flights. Gates 168 to 173, located in the centre of the terminal, are swing gates and can serve both international (A) and domestic (B) flights as these gates are on multiple levels. Terminal 2 is currently the main hub of China Southern Airlines, and previously served the majority of SkyTeam and Star Alliance member airlines, before the big switch in 2026. Terminal 2 is classified as a 5-Star Airport Terminal by Skytrax[4].
As of January 21, 2026, the following airlines serve Terminal 2:[13]
- China Southern Airlines, 9 Air, Loong Air, Sichuan Airlines, Xiamen Air, Chengdu Airlines, Hebei Airlines, Chongqing Airlines, Gulf Air, Garuda Indonesia, China Airlines, Air Serbia, IndiGo, Korean Air, Aeroflot, Kuwait Airways, Asiana Airlines, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, Air Astana, Vietnam Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Air Tanzania, Saudia, Transnusa, Kenya Airways, Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines.
China Southern Airlines check-in kiosks
Departure hall
Skystage inside the departure hall
A boarding gate at Terminal 2
Terminal 2 departure hall
Departures concourse
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| Airlines | Check-in counter | |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic | China Southern Airlines, XiamenAir, Sichuan Airlines, Chongqing Airlines, Hebei Airlines | C, D, E, F, G, J |
| International | Japan Airlines, Kenya Airways, Saudia, Garuda Indonesia | M |
| Korean Air, China Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International, Aeroflot, Sichuan Airlines | N | |
| China Southern Airlines | P, Q |
The new transport centre (GTC) is under construction on the south side of terminal 2; passengers will be able to go to Guangzhou downtown by taking metro, rail, bus or taxi there.[14]
Terminal 3
Terminal 3 opened on 30 October 2025, with an area measuring over 422,000 square metres. The terminal built using BIM digital technology and designed to operate with paper-free archives for first time in China, with its "flower" design theme.[15][16][17] The terminal has the first open-air airport observation deck in China.[18]
On the days the terminal opened, China Eastern Airlines (domestic flights only), Shanghai Airlines, China United Airlines, Juneyao Airlines and Okay Airways moved their operations to Terminal 3—on 30 October for certain flights, and on 31 October for all flights.[19]
As of January 21, 2026, the following airlines serve Terminal 3:[13]
- Hainan Airlines (int'l flights only), Shenzhen Airlines (int'l flights only), China Eastern Airlines, Spring Airlines, Okay Airways, Juneyao Air, Shanghai Airlines, China United Airlines, Turkish Airlines, ANA, Mahan Air, Scoot, SriLankan Airlines, Cebu Pacific, US-Bangla Airlines, Centrum Air, Iraqi Airways, Cambodia Airways, Myanmar Airways International, Air Cambodia, Thai Lion Air, Lao Airlines, Batik Air Malaysia, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, VietJet Air, Qanot Sharq, Thai AirAsia, EVA Air, Emirates, Conviasa, AirAsia, MIAT Mongolian Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Nepal Airlines, Air Algérie, S7 Airlines, EgyptAir and Lion Air.
From 2:00 am on 7 May 2026, all 11 domestic airlines serve Terminal 1 will be moved to Terminal 3 due to Terminal 1 closed for upgrading facilities.[12].
Flying Seed Sculpture
Departure hall
Business center
Security check
Check-in desks
Self Check-in Baggage Drop
Ground Transportation Center
FedEx Asia-Pacific hub
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On 13 July 2005, FedEx Express signed a contract with the airport authority to relocate its Asia-Pacific hub from Subic Bay International Airport in the Philippines to Baiyun Airport. The new Asia-Pacific hub covers an area of approximate 63 hectares (160 acres), with a total floor space of 82,000 square metres (880,000 sq ft).[20] At the beginning of operation, the hub employed more than 800 people and operated 136 flights a week, providing delivery services among 20 major cities in Asia and linking these cities to more than 220 countries and territories in the world.[21] The Guangzhou hub was, at the time of the opening, the largest FedEx hub outside the United States,[20] but it was later surpassed by the expanded hub at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport.[22]
The hub has its own ramp control tower, a first for an international air express cargo company facility in China, which enables FedEx to control aircraft movements on the ground, aircraft parking plans as well as loading and unloading priorities. Included at the hub are a unique package and sorting system with 16 high-speed sorting lines, seven round-out conveyor belts and 90 primary and secondary document-sorting splits. With the new advanced system, up to 24,000 packages can be sorted an hour at the start of operations.[23]
Construction began in 2006 and the hub was originally scheduled to open on 26 December 2008. On 17 November 2008, after several months of testing, FedEx announced that the opening date was delayed to the first half of 2009 when the hub was expected to be fully operational. FedEx claimed that the revised operation date "provided FedEx with the necessary time to fully test all systems and processes, as well as work closely with the Guangzhou authorities to ensure all necessary approvals are in place".[23]
On 17 December 2008, the hub completed its first flight operations test. A FedEx MD-11 aircraft took off from Subic Bay International Airport in the Philippines and landed at Baiyun Airport at 05:50 local time. The flight was handled by the new FedEx hub team, using the FedEx ramp control tower and the new 24,000 package per hour sort system. Following a successful operations' process, the flight departed on time for its final destination at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. This Asia-Europe flight route operated four times per week during test run. FedEx also announced that the hub would start operation on 6 February 2009.[24]
FedEx closed its 13-year-old Asia-Pacific hub at Subic Bay of northern Philippines on 6 February 2009, with the last flight leaving for Taiwan just before dawn, while hub operations have moved to Baiyun Airport.[25] The first flight that arrived at the new FedEx Asia-Pacific hub originated from Indianapolis International Airport. The MD-11 aircraft landed at 23:07 local time at Baiyun International Airport from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, marking the opening and full operations of the new Asia-Pacific hub.[26]
Runways
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport now has five runways.
The third runway opened on 5 February 2015,[27] which temporarily tackled the long‐standing capacity obstacle. The operation of the third runway expanded Baiyun Airport's capacity, pushing business up.[28] Unfortunately, the third runway can only be used for landing, as its airspace conflicts with Foshan Shadi Airport.[29] The airport is planning to build two additional runways.[29]
The fourth runway 01L/19R opened on January 23, 2025, makes Guangzhou Baiyun Airport the fourth airport to have a four-runway system in China after Shanghai-Pudong, Beijing-Daxing and Chongqing-Jiangbei. The current third runway 01/19 will be renamed 01R/19L.[30]
The fifth runway 03/21 opened on October 30, 2025, makes Guangzhou Baiyun Airport the second airport to have a five-runway system in China after Shanghai-Pudong.
The five-runway system will normally be operating as follows:
- Inner runways 01R/19L and 02L/20R for take off only.
- Outer runways 01L/19R and 02R/20L for landing only.
Expansion
In August 2008, the airport's expansion plan was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission.[31]
It included a third runway, 3,800 metres (12,500 ft) in length and 60 metres (200 ft) in width, located 400 metres (1,300 ft) to the east of the existing east runway. The centrepiece of the project is a 880,700 m2 (9,480,000 sq ft) Terminal 2. Other facilities comprise new indoor and outdoor car parks and a transportation centre with metro and inter-city train services. The total cost of the entire project was estimated to be around ¥18.854 billion. Construction of the third runway began in 2012 and the runway commenced operation in early 2015. The whole project including the new terminal was scheduled to be finished in February 2018, at which time the airport will be able to handle 80 million passengers and 2.5 million tonnes of cargo a year.[32]
The third phase expansion plan has been approved by the National Development and Reform Commission of China. After the expansion, Baiyun Airport will have three terminals, a satellite concourse, five runways and a high-speed railway station serving 3 intercity railways.[33] The airport will be able to handle 120 million passengers, 3.8 million tons freight and 775,000 aircraft movements a year. The whole expansion project is completed on 30 October 2025, with the fifth runway and Terminal 3.[34]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Statistics
| Year | Passengers | Aircraft movements | Cargo (tons) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 20,326,138 | 182,780 | 506,988.3 |
| 2005 | 23,558,274 | 211,309 | 600,603.9 |
| 2006 | 26,222,037 | 232,204 | 653,261.3 |
| 2007 | 30,958,467 | 260,828 | 694,296.0 |
| 2008 | 33,435,272 | 280,392 | 685,867.9 |
| 2009 | 37,048,712 | 308,863 | 955,269.7 |
| 2010[175] | 40,975,673 | 329,214 | 1,144,455.7 |
| 2011[176] | 45,040,340 | 349,259 | 1,179,967.7 |
| 2012[177] | 48,309,410 | 373,314 | 1,248,763.8 |
| 2013[178] | 52,450,262 | 394,403 | 1,309,745.5 |
| 2014[179] | 54,780,346 | 412,210 | 1,454,043.8 |
| 2015[180] | 55,201,915 | 409,679 | 1,537,758.9 |
| 2016 | 59,732,147 | 435,231 | 1,652,214.9 |
| 2017[181] | 65,806,977 | 465,295 | 1,780,423.1 |
| 2018[182] | 69,720,403 | 477,364 | 1,890,560.0 |
| 2019 | 73,378,475 | 491,249 | 1,919,926.9 |
| 2020 | 43,768,000 | - | - |
| 2021 | 40,249,679 | 362,470 | 2,044,908.7 |
| 2022 | 26,104,989 | 266,627 | 1,884,082.0 |
| 2023 | 63,167,751 | 456,104 | 2,030,522.7 |
| 2024 | 76,370,000 | - | 2,380,000 |
| 2025 | 83,582,952 | 550,512 | 2,439,247.5 |
Ground transportation
Inter-terminal
There is a free shuttle bus that goes between Terminals 1, Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.
Road
The airport is connected to downtown Guangzhou by the S41 Guangzhou Airport Expressway.
Rail
Guangzhou–Foshan circular intercity railway serve Baiyun Airport North railway station (for Terminal 2), Baiyun Airport South railway station (for Terminal 1) and Baiyun Airport East railway station (for Terminal 3) in the airport. The intercity railway connects the airport to Panyu railway station and Huadu railway station.
Since 7 May 2026, Baiyun Airport South railway station is temporarily closed for the renovation of Terminal 1[11].
Metro
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is served by the Airport South Station (serving Terminal 1) and the Airport North Station (serving Terminal 2) on Line 3 of Guangzhou Metro.
Since 7 May 2026, Airport South Station of Guangzhou Metro is temporarily closed for the renovation of Terminal 1[11].
For now, there is no metro line serving Terminal 3 (until Guangzhou Metro Line 22 extends in the future). Passengers going to Terminal 3 can take inter-terminal free shuttle bus or intercity railway from Terminal 2, or take a bus from Gaozeng station on Line 3 of Guangzhou Metro.
In the future, Guangzhou Metro Line 22 will serve the airport (including Terminal 3), connecting it to downtown Guangzhou.[183]
Bus
There are five Airport Express lines and six Airport Non-stop lines between airport and downtown. Buses take passengers to the city's major hotels, grand plaza and transportation centre, such as the Garden Hotel, Guangdong Hotel, CITIC Plaza, Haizhu Square, Tianhe Coach Station, and Guangzhou North Station.
To service passengers out of Guangzhou city, the airport also provides intercity bus service. The buses will take passengers from/to Dongguan, Foshan, Zhongshan, Huizhou, Jiangmen and other destinations.
