Yuncheng Yanhu International Airport

Yuncheng Zhangxiao Airport, formerly the Yuncheng Air Force Airport, is currently the third international airport and the second largest airport in Shanxi Province. It was initially opened for joint military and civilian use on February 7, 2002.^[2] In October 2004, the airport was completed and inspected; on December 6, the school flight was successful. With a total investment of 350 million yuan.^[3] It was later converted into a civilian transport airport, commencing operations on February 7, 2005, with the first route being Beijing Capital International Airport operated by China International Airlines.^[2]

In May 2007, approximately two years after the airport was put into operation, the airport underwent an expansion of its flight area. The runway was extended 600 meters westward from 2,400 meters to 3,000 meters, and its width increased from 45 meters to 60 meters. The apron area was expanded from over 20,000 square meters to over 40,000 square meters. The expansion also included the relocation of the west approach navigator, glide slope, and west approach platform, as well as the installation of a new Category I precision approach lighting system. Upon completion, Yuncheng Guan Gong Airport's flight area classification was upgraded from 3C to 4D, enabling it to handle aircraft up to the Boeing 767-300 and Airbus A330.^[4][5]

The expansion project was completed in 2008. Following the expansion, test flights were conducted. From July 19th to 22nd, a King Air 200 calibration aircraft dispatched by the Civil Aviation Administration of China conducted calibration flights, and all test items met design standards. The airport passed industrial acceptance on July 23rd, 2008.^[4]

From March 2009 to March 2012, Yuncheng Airport underwent an expansion of its terminal area. This project was designated a key project of Shanxi Province, with a total investment of 441 million yuan. The new terminal building has a total construction area of 27,000 square meters, six boarding bridges, an expanded apron of 19,300 square meters, increasing the number of aircraft stands to ten, an expanded parking lot of 15,300 square meters, and supporting facilities such as fire protection, water supply and drainage, HVAC, roads, and landscaping.^[6][7] It can meet the needs of 1.5 million passengers annually, 875 passengers per peak hour, and 8,000 tons of cargo and mail. The construction of the new terminal building has brought Yuncheng Airport's hardware facilities to the scale of an advanced domestic regional airport.^[6] On 9 May 2012, a new 25,000-square-meter terminal building was opened, ten times the size of the original building.^[7]

In April 2017, Yuncheng Airport opened a temporary air port, subsequently launching routes from Yuncheng to international and regional destinations such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Pattaya. Since its opening, it has safely handled over 130,000 flights, transporting over 10 million passengers. As of November this year, passenger throughput has exceeded 2 million, reaching the originally approved design capacity 12 years ahead of schedule.^[8]

On October 26, 2018, another expansion project, with a total investment of 2.19 billion yuan, commenced construction. The expansion project was divided into two parts: terminal area expansion and flight area expansion. The terminal area expansion project, with an estimated investment of 680 million yuan, will construct a new 27,000-square-meter international terminal building; build a 700-square-meter connecting corridor between Terminals 1 and 2; expand the elevated bridge area by 11,000 square meters; construct a new air traffic control tower and control tower of 1,750 square meters, and other ancillary facilities. The flight area expansion project, with an estimated investment of 1.51 billion yuan, includes upgrading the airport to 4E-level, the construction of a new 3,200-meter runway; resurfacing the existing runway and apron, converting the existing runway into a parallel taxiway; constructing a new 70,000-square-meter apron; building a new in-flight catering production area on 40 mu (approximately 6.6 hectares) south of the existing runway; and constructing a new aviation fuel station and fuel depot on 87 mu (approximately 5.8 hectares) northeast of the new runway.^[9][10]

On October 20, 2023, the new runway at Yuncheng Airport in Shanxi Province successfully completed its test flight with an A330 aircraft. This signifies that Yuncheng Airport has the capability to handle large passenger aircraft.^[10]

On January 25, 2024, the new runway at Yuncheng Zhangxiao Airport was inaugurated.

Yuncheng Airport has a runway that is 3000 meters long and 60 meters wide (class 4D), and seven aircraft parking aprons.^[3] It has a 25,000-square-meter terminal building that was opened in May 2012. It is designed to serve 1.2 million passengers and 8000 tons of cargo per year, with a peak capacity of 875 passengers per hour.^[7]

Terminal 1:

Yuncheng Yanhu International Airport Terminal 1 is a domestic terminal. Originally named Terminal 2, it opened on May 27, 2012, with six boarding bridges. The first floor (arrival level) is made of cement steel, and the second floor (departure level) is made of steel frame glass; it can handle 2 million passengers and 8,000 tons of cargo in 2020.

The functions of each floor are as follows:

Second floor: The departure hall features 12 artificial check-in counters, 10 self-service check-in counters, and 8 security checkpoints. The waiting area includes 6 nearby boarding gates, a restaurant, business district, baby and maternal rooms, first-class cabins, VIP lounges, and eco-designed smoking rooms.

First floor: The far terminal has two boarding gates, with additional passenger arrival halls and welcome halls featuring four baggage claim turnstiles.

Terminal 2:

Yuncheng Yanhu International Airport Terminal 2 is an international terminal built on the site of the old Terminal 1, covering an area of 28,000 square meters and featuring five boarding bridges connected to Terminal 1, capable of handling 2.5 million passengers annually.

Flight zone:

By January 2025, Yuncheng Salt Lake International Airport's flight zone is rated as 4E, fire rescue as 9, emergency rescue as 8, with the largest aircraft model being Boeing 747-400; runway number 08/26, length 3,200 meters, width 45 meters, and NDB beacon, two 180-meter vertical approach runways; civil aviation decks and Class C aircraft.

Flight route destination:

By 2022, Yuncheng Salt Lake International Airport had 8 overnight operations, including 5 from Shenzhen Airlines, 2 from China Eastern Airlines, and 1 from China Southern Airlines. On October 27, 2024, it began operating 35 routes to 36 cities including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chengdu, Haikou, and Harbin.

Check-in counter

Check-in counter distribution:

The T1 terminal of Yuncheng Salt Lake International Airport features 12 manual check-in counters.

Check-in time:

The artificial check-in counter at Yuncheng Salt Lake International Airport closes 30 minutes before the expected flight departure.

Self-check-in:

The T2 terminal of Yuncheng Salt Lake International Airport features 10 self-check-in machines. Passengers without checked baggage can exchange electronic boarding passes on these machines, log in to the airline's website, or check in online.

Recent construction:

On October 26, 2018, ground was laid for the renovation and expansion of Yuncheng Salt Lake International Airport, which is expected to be completed and accepted by December 2023. The total investment for the renovation and expansion of Yuncheng Salt Lake International Airport is 3.28 billion yuan, and the terminal area project has been completed and put into use.The flight area expansion project invested 2.59 billion yuan to build a new runway measuring 3,200 meters in length and 45 meters in width; the original runway and platform were covered and converted into parallel taxiways; the new runway covers 70,000 square meters, bringing the airport's seating capacity to 30.

On the south side of the original runway, a new food production area of 40 acres has been established; on the northeast side of the new runway, a new fuel station and storage facility, among other ancillary works, have been constructed. After the project is completed, Yuncheng Aviation Port will officially open, and the airport will be upgraded to a Level 4E international airport capable of handling 4.5 million passengers and 40,746 aircraft takeoffs and landings by 2030.

Yuncheng Yanhu Airport is served by the following airlines:

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