Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, Chongqing Airport

Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport is one of the top 10 airports in China.  The airport is the largest aviation hub in the central and western regions of China. In 2011, it was also recognized by the Airports Council International as the second placer in the Best Airport in the 15 – 25 Million Passenger Size category. It also received the Award for Best Improvement in the Asia Pacific region. In terms of passenger traffic, it is currently the 9th busiest airport in China and the 11th busiest in cargo traffic.

Chinese name: 重庆江北机场
Airport IATA code: CKG
Airport ICAO code: ZUCK
Website: www.cqa.cn
Address: Yubei District, Chongqing
Chinese address: 重庆市渝北区
Telephone: 86-023-67152338/67152351

Location and Distance

The Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport is located in the Yubei District of Chongqing in China. It is 21 kilometers north of downtown Chongqing. Due to its location, it is considered an important aviation hub for southwestern China. It is also currently the hub for the following airlines:

• China Express Airlines
• China Southern Airlines
• Chongqing Airlines
• Sichuan Airlines
• China West Air

Book your flight tickets from/to Chongqing.

Due to this, the airport is also well connected with both the Sky Team and the Star Alliance networks.

Terminals

The Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport has two terminals. Terminal 1 serves international flights, while Terminal 2 serves domestic flights. The 1st terminal is capable of handling up to 1 million passengers per year, while the domestic terminal can handle up to 30 million. The airport is also undergoing construction for a new terminal and runway, which will expand its operations. The expansion hopes to make Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport an international air hub and the largest airport in the region of western China by the year 2035. With Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou as the three largest aviation hubs in China, Chongqing Jiangbei is vying for the fourth spot, although it has to compete with four other airports, namely those in Chengdu, Xi’an, Wuhan, and Kunming.

Flights

As of 1997, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport was still very small and only served two international flights every week. Over the past 14 years, however, the airport actively launched several international flights. Most of the flights were added over the last 5 years. By 2010, the airport served over 70 international flights every week. By the first half of 2011, the number of international flights exceeded 100. It is also expected to reach 150 by the end of the year 2012.

International flights leaving from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport include:

• Tokyo
• Seoul
• Hanoi
• Singapore
• Bangkok
• Siem Reap
• Phuket
• Doha
• Helsink

Despite its dramatic improvements over the past few years, the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport has ambitious plans for further growth.

Transportation to/from the city

Transportation to/from the airport is developing at a fast rate. Currently, there are four highways near the airport’s vicinity that are being constructed. These are part of the plans to improve the status of the airport in China’s aviation industry. Soon, there will be a huge transportation transfer center connected to the airport itself; the center will allow transfers to inter-city rail, subway, and light rail.

Subway

The light rail line 3, which serves Chongqing Jiangbei Airport, is currently the main subway line in Chongqing. It travels from south to north, beginning at Yu Dong and ending at Jiangbei Airport. The Line 3 became available last December 2011, even though construction began long ago in 2007.

For your added convenience, Line 3 is connected to two railway stations, namely the Cai Yuan Ba Railway Station and the Chongqing North Railway Station. It is also linked to four long-distance bus stations, which those traveling to nearby Chinese cities can also take.

Shuttle Bus

One of the easiest ways to get to the Chongqing Jiangbei Airport is to take an airport shuttle bus. If you are arriving at the airport and going downtown, the same buses are also available. The buses can be found at Terminal 2, and leave there every 30 minutes. It stops at Jiazhou Bus Station, Waimao Dasha, and Shangqing Si. The reverse route has one intermediate stop at Yuting Hotel before stopping at Terminal 2. A ticket for each one-way travel costs CNY 15.

Taxi

Passengers can also ride a taxi. The fare from the airport to downtown will cost CNY70, with the flat rate at CNY8 and the per-kilometer charge at CNY2.1. The trip to the airport from downtown and vice versa will cost around CNY45.

City-Bus

Aside from the airport shuttle buses, passengers traveling to or from the Chongqing Jiangbei Airport can also take the City-Bus, which is less expensive at only CNY 1 to 2 per ticket. The City-Bus system in Chongqing is robust, organized, and very convenient. There are now about 300 bus lines operating in the city. These run between 5:30 to 21:00. However, the city buses are usually very crowded during rush hours, so if you are traveling to the airport to catch a flight, it is best to avoid the city bus during rush hours.

Wuqiao Airport in Wanzhou

Another smaller airport is available in Chongqing. It is called the Wuqiao Airport in Wanzhou of Chongqing due to its location. It began its operations back in 2003.

Chinese name: 万州五桥机场
IATA: WXN
ICAO: ZUWX
Address: Wanzhou District, Chongqing, China

The Wuqiao Airport was considered a military aerodrome prior to 1997 because its short runway was not rated for civilian use. Initially, there were plans to extend it, but instead, a new airport was built. This finally allowed civilian flights, including flights by the following airlines to the following destinations:

• Air China: Guangzhou
• China Eastern Airlines: Nanjing
• Shanghai Airlines: Shanghai, Pudong
• Sichuan Airlines: Beijing, Kunming

Qianjiang Wulingshan Airport

The Qianjiang Wulingshan Airport is an airport located in Qianjiang District of Chongqing. It is encompassed by the town of Zhoubai and was therefore originally called Qianjiang Zhoubai Airport.

Chinese name: 武陵山机场
IATA: JIQ

Currently, it serves flights to Beijing, Kunming, Shanghai, and Chongqing via three airlines: China Eastern Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and Spring Airlines.