China’s futuristic Chengdu Tianfu International Airport is now official open, and to kick things off, the inaugural flight, operated by Sichuan Airlines, took off Sunday morning for Beijing. Construction cost around $10.8 billion USD, and the first phase is capable of handling 60 million passengers per year.
There are three operational runways and two terminals that span a total area of 710,000 square meters, while future phases will include terminals that cover 1.4 million square meters and handle 120 million passengers annually. Currently, the airport will only be used for domestic flights with international routes coming in the future as the country opens to more tourists.
The new airport in Chengdu was needed to accommodate continued rapid growth. China’s domestic market has already fully recovered from the pandemic and will continue to grow rapidly. Given the size of the city and its central location in China, Chengdu is very well-positioned to benefit,” said aviation analyst Brendan Sobie.
