Wuhan Tianhe International Airport

Wuhan Tianhe
International Airport
武汉天河国际机场
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Wuhan Tianhe International Airport Co. Ltd.
Serves Wuhan
Location Huangpi District, Wuhan
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL 34 m / 112 ft
Coordinates 30°47′01″N 114°12′29″E / 30.78361°N 114.20806°E / 30.78361; 114.20806Coordinates: 30°47′01″N 114°12′29″E / 30.78361°N 114.20806°E / 30.78361; 114.20806
Website www.whairport.com
Maps

CAAC airport chart
WUH
WUH
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
04L/22R 3,400 11,155 Concrete
04R/22L 3,600 11,811 Concrete
Statistics (2017)
Passengers 23,129,400
Source:www.caac.gov.cn
Wuhan Tianhe International Airport
Simplified Chinese 武汉天河国际机场
Traditional Chinese 武漢天河國際機場

Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (IATA: WUH, ICAO: ZHHH) serves Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, People's Republic of China. It was opened on 15 April 1995 substituting the old Hankou Wangjiadun Airport and Nanhu Airport as the major airport of Wuhan.[1][2] The airport is located in Wuhan's suburban Huangpi District, around 26 km (16 mi) to the north of Wuhan city center. It is the busiest airport of central China as it is geographically located in the centre of China's airline route network. The airport is a focus city for Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines. The airport has flights to international destinations such as Bangkok, Moscow, Osaka, Paris, Seoul, and Singapore. In September 2014 China Southern Airlines announced a daily non-stop flight to San Francisco, originating from Guangzhou, operating with a Boeing 787 to begin December 16, 2014. This is Wuhan's first non-stop flight to the United States.[3]

The airport served 20,772,000 passengers in 2016, making it the 14th busiest airport by passenger traffic in China. The name Tianhe (天河) can be literally translated as "Sky River"; it is also one of the names for the Milky Way in ancient Chinese.[4]

Since May 1, 2015, passengers from countries such as EU countries, Japan, Korea, Russia, the U.S., when traveling to a third country, can enter China from this airport without a Chinese visa for up to 72 hours.[5]

History

To replace the old Wangjiadun Airport, Chinese government permitted the plan to build a commercial airport in Tianhe County, Huangpi District, Wuhan at July 1, 1985. The first term construction started in December 1989 and finished in April 1994. It first operated domestic flights but later in 2000, the CAA set it as an international airport.

The airport expanded twice---first for terminal 2 and second for terminal 3, new control tower and the second runway.

Facilities

Runways

Tianhe International Airport has two runways.

Runway West (04L 22R)

Length: 3,400 m (11,200 ft), width: 45 m (148 ft)

Runway East (04R 22L main runway)

Length: 3,600 m (11,800 ft), width: 60 m (200 ft)

ILS

Tianhe Airport equipped with ILS II in south side(main landing side), ILS I in north side. The East runway is equipped with blind landing systems.

Terminals

Terminal 1 (demolished)

Terminal 1 was opened in 1995 when all flight services are transferred from Nanhu Airport to Tianhe International Airport. It was located at where the west concourse of Terminal 3 stands nowadays. It had been the only terminal of the airport until Terminal 2 was completed in 2008.

From 2008 onwards, all domestic flights were operated at T2 while international flights were still operated at T1. T1 was closed in 2010 after serving international flights for two years. A new international terminal was built in 2010, and has undergone subsequent expansions after seeing major increase of international travelers. And it has been demolished during the construction of Terminal 3.[6][7]

Terminal 2 (closed)

Terminal 2 was the main terminal for Tianhe Airport during 2008-2017, which handled only domestic airlines. It has a floor area of 121,200 square meters and a designed capacity to handle 13 million passengers and 320,000 tons of cargo a year. The project was completed in April 15, 2008, at a total cost of 3.37 billion yuan (421.5 million US dollars). By 2010, Wuhan served at least 5 international and 100 domestic routes. The airport's cargo-handling capacity is to reach 144,000 tons.

Terminal 2 was closed when Terminal 3 were officially opened in mid 2017 for the upgrade construction. [8]

International Terminal (closed)

The International Terminal was opened in December 2010 and all international flights and flights to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan operated at the International Terminal from 2010 to 2017. After the old Terminal 1 was closed in 2010, the International Terminal was sometimes mistakenly called "T1" by passengers.

The single-floor terminal is located at the southwest of Terminal 2. It has a floor area of 5310 square meters, shared by both departure and arrival facilities. To handle wide-body jet within limited ramp, there is no air-bridge for this terminal.[9]

Due to its compact size and the growing number of international flights, there were complaints that Terminal 1 was "too crowded". In 2013, the average departure traffic was 880 per hour during the peak season, which was far greater than its designed maximum capacity of 550.[10]

The International Terminal was closed in mid 2017 and it will be turned to a chartered and VIP terminal in the future.

Terminal 3

Terminal 2

Starting from August 31, 2017, all flights from the original International Terminal (international, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) and T2 (domestic) have been moved to Terminal 3, which has a passenger capacity of 35 million. Following the opening of the new Terminal 3, T1 and T2 were closed temporarily for renovation. T1 is scheduled to operate as the VIP terminal. T2 will undergo renovation and reopen when passengers in T3 exceed the design limit.[11]

The T3 has a new departure lounge, restaurants and duty-free shops.

The construction of Terminal 3 started in June 2013 and it was opened on August 31, 2017. A new runway, new control tower, and a transportation hub connecting the airport to the city with an intercity railway and a metro line have been built and opened along with the new terminal.[12]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
AirAsia Kota Kinabalu
AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur–International
Air China Beijing–Capital, Changchun, Chengdu, Chongqing, Daqing, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Haikou, Hohhot, Huizhou, Linfen, Qingdao, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Xiamen, Xilinhot, Yantai, Yinchuan, Zhanjiang, Zhuhai
Air China Chiang Mai, Macau, Surat Thani[13]
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Air Mauritius Mauritius[14]
All Nippon Airways Tokyo–Narita
Beijing Capital Airlines Dalian, Enshi, Haikou, Jinan, Lijiang, Sanya, Shenyang
Cathay Dragon Hong Kong
Chengdu Airlines Chengdu, Guiyang, Nanning, Taizhou, Wenzhou
China Airlines Taipei–Taoyuan
China Eastern Airlines Beijing–Capital, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dali, Dalian, Datong, Enshi, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Hangzhou, Jieyang, Jinzhou(begins 28 October 2018)[15], Kunming, Lanzhou, Liuzhou,[16] Ningbo, Panzhihua, Qingdao, Rizhao(begins 28 October 2018),[17] Sanya, Shanghai–Hongqiao, Shanghai–Pudong, Shennongjia, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Taiyuan, Urumqi, Wenzhou, Xi'an, Xiamen, Xining, Yancheng, Yibin, Yinchuan, Zhanjiang, Zunyi–Xinzhou
China Eastern Airlines Fukuoka, Kaohsiung, Sydney,[18] Taipei–Taoyuan
China Eastern Airlines
operated by Shanghai Airlines 		Shanghai–Hongqiao, Zhanjiang
China Express Airlines Chongqing, Dalian, Dongying, Shiyan
China Southern Airlines Beihai, Beijing–Capital, Bole, Changchun, Changzhi, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Enshi, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Haikou, Hailar, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hohhot, Jieyang, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lijiang, Nanning, Ningbo, Qingdao, Sanya, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Shiyan, Tianjin, Urumqi, Weihai, Wenzhou, Xi'an, Xiamen, Xishuangbanna, Yinchuan, Yiwu, Zhuhai
China Southern Airlines Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Dubai–International, Ho Chi Minh City,[19] Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, London–Heathrow,[20] Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Osaka-Kansai, Phuket, Rome–Fiumicino, San Francisco, Seoul–Incheon, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita
China Southern Airlines
operated by Chongqing Airlines 		Chongqing
Colorful Guizhou Airlines Bijie, Guiyang
GX Airlines Nanning
Hainan Airlines Beijing–Capital, Haikou, Qingdao, Sanming, Sanya, Shenyang, Tongren, Urumqi, Wenzhou, Zhuhai
Jetstar Pacific Airlines Charter: Nha Trang[21]
Joy Air Huangshan, Xiangyang
Juneyao Airlines Huizhou, Shanghai–Pudong
Korean Air Seoul–Incheon
Kunming Airlines Taiyuan
Lion Air Charter: Denpasar, Manado
Loong Air Hangzhou, Xingyi
Lucky Air Dalian, Kunming, Lijiang, Qingdao
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International
Maldivian Malé
Malindo Air Kuala Lumpur–International, Penang[22]
Mandarin Airlines Taipei–Songshan
New Gen Airways Charter: Krabi
Ruili Airlines Lanzhou, Shenyang
Shandong AirlinesBeijing–Capital, Guiyang, Jinan, Nanning, Qingdao, Xiamen, Yantai, Yinchuan
Shenzhen Airlines Hohhot, Nanning, Quanzhou, Shenyang, Shenzhen
Sichuan Airlines Chengdu, Chongqing, Harbin, Nanning, Nantong, Quanzhou, Shennongjia
SilkAir Singapore
Spring Airlines Osaka–Kansai[23]
Spring Airlines Japan Tokyo–Narita
Sriwijaya Air Charter: Denpasar
Thai AirAsia Bangkok–Don Mueang, Phuket
Thai Lion Air Bangkok–Don Mueang[24]
Tianjin Airlines Guiyang, Haikou, Liupanshui, Sanya, Urumqi, Xi'an
Tibet Airlines Lhasa
Vietnam Airlines Charter: Da Nang
West Air Chongqing, Fuzhou
XiamenAir Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Hohhot, Lanzhou, Liuzhou, Mianyang, Nanning, Quanzhou, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Xiamen, Xining, Yinchuan, Zunyi–Maotai

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
China Postal Airlines Nanjing
SF Airlines Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhengzhou
Uni-Top Airlines Chennai, Delhi, Luxembourg, Tokyo–Narita, Kuala Lumpur
Yangtze River Express Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen
Emirates SkyCargo Dubai-Al Maktoum
Kalitta Air Anchorage - Chicago

Ground transportation

Two tolled expressways, the 1st (numbered S18) and the 2nd (S19) Airport Expressways (the S18 is now closed because of roadwork), connect the airport to downtown Hankou.[25]

There is a limited bus service between Wuhan Tianhe Airport and several bus stops in the urban area of Wuhan.[26]

The Wuhan–Xiaogan Intercity Railway, one of the lines of the Wuhan Metropolitan Area Intercity Railway, serves Wuhan Tianhe Airport. This railway opened in December 2016.[27]

The extension of Line 2 of Wuhan Metro to Tianhe Airport opened on 28 December 2016.[28]

Future development

Presently, Tianhe is the only civic airport in the Wuhan metropolitan area. However, the city authorities are considering repurposing the military Shanpo Airfield (山坡机场; 30°05′17″N 114°18′52″E / 30.08806°N 114.31444°E / 30.08806; 114.31444), located in the city's far southern suburbs (Shanpo Township, Jiangxia District), as a commercial cargo airport. If the plans are implemented, Shanpo will become Wuhan's second airport.[29]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "1995年4月15日武汉天河机场投入营运". 荆楚网. 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
  2. ↑ "中國空軍漢口機場歷經10年竣工". 大公網. 2007-06-08. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
  3. ↑ "China Southern Plans San Francisco Service from mid-Dec 2014". Airline Route. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "Explanation of Tianhe". Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  5. ↑ "武汉3月起实行72小时过境免签". Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  6. ↑ 天河机场 国际航站楼 下月扩建. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
  7. ↑ 武汉天河机场建成新国际航站楼. Archived from the original on 2 May 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "Xinhua - English". Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  9. ↑ 武汉天河机场国际航站楼正式启用. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  10. ↑ 旅客“吐槽”天河机场国际航站楼候机太拥挤. 武汉晚报 [Wuhan Evening News]. Retrieved 19 January 2017. templatestyles stripmarker in |publisher= at position 1 (help)
  11. ↑ http://news.ifeng.com/a/20170901/51843305_0.shtml. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ 天河机场三期全面建成 T3航站楼2017年3月启用
  13. ↑ "Air China Begins Wuhan – Surat Thani Route from late-April 2015". Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  14. ↑ https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/278144/air-mauritius-plans-wuhan-launch-in-july-2018/
  15. ↑ [http://news.carnoc.com/list/464/464285.html 锦州=武汉=深圳航线将于10月28日正式通航 ]
  16. ↑ 3月27日起柳州机场将开通两条到三亚的航线
  17. ↑ 长沙、海口、武汉...日照机场又开新航线！
  18. ↑ "China Eastern reopens Wuhan – Sydney reservation from late-Jan 2017". routesonline. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  19. ↑ https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/279741/china-southern-adds-wuhan-ho-chi-minh-city-from-late-july-2018/
  20. ↑ https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/277165/china-southern-files-new-european-routes-in-s18/
  21. ↑ http://airlineroute.net/2015/11/27/bl-cxr-w15/
  22. ↑ "Malindo Air Plans Wuhan Service from late-June 2016". routesonline. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  23. ↑ "Spring Airlines to Start Wuhan – Osaka Service from mid-July 2014". Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  24. ↑ New Destination : Bangkok - Wuhan
  25. ↑ 武汉机场二通道继续免费 15分钟从香港路开到机场 (Second Airport Expressway is now open and remains free for the time being)
  26. ↑ 天河机场大巴运行时刻表 (Tianhe Airport bus schedule)
  27. ↑ 武汉城市圈第4条城际铁路正式开通 空铁交通实现无缝对接
  28. ↑ 武汉地铁机场线开通 乘地铁赶飞机还需留意这两点
  29. ↑ 武汉第二机场项目已上报发改委 江夏山坡机场开始“控违” (The plan for Wuhan's second airport has been submitted to the National Development and Reform Commission. Shanpo Airfield, in Jiangxia District, started to be considered), 21 November 2012
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