Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport

Considered to be at the top rank for the biggest airport in southern China,

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport serves as another gateway to visit the People's Republic of China via Guangdong. Formerly the Canton Airport, it replaced the airport of the same name that existed for 72 years. It services the operations of China Southern Airlines and Shenzen Airlines. It is ranked as second in the number of passengers being transported as well as third in moving freight and cargo.

With a floor area of fifteen square kilometers, the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is China's first airport to be constructed using the concept of hub using an investment of around twenty billion yuan. It is being operated by Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Co Ltd. Opened last August 2004, this newly constructed airport found in the Huadu District is about 28 kilometers from the center of Guangzhou. Not content with becoming five times bigger than the former airport, it still aims to expand to double its size and capacity by 2009.

Statistics

There are two runways, both with an average of 3700 meters in length, and room for one more. There are 66 aprons and with a capacity reaching up to twenty seven million customers annually at present. They plan to have at least eight million by 2010. They also carry about a million tons of cargo per year, hopefully to double also by 2010. They cater to more than 100 destinations locally and internationally, with 3 branch airports at Shantou, Meizhou, and Zhanjiang. Other branches in Weizhou and Zhaoqing are now in the planning stages.

Airlines and Destinations

At present, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport caters to 27 international airlines and their respective destinations: Air France to Paris, Air Zimbabwe to Harare, Singapore, All Nippon Airways to Tokyo- Narita, Asiana Airlines to Busan, Seoul, Batavia Air to Jakarta, China Airlines to Taipei, China Southern Airlines to the most number of destinations in worldwide, Dalavia to Khabarovsky, EgyptAir to Cairo and Bangkok, Ethiopian Airlines to Addis Ababa, EVA Air to Taipei, Finnair to Helsinki, Geruda Indonesia to Jakarta, Japan Airlines to Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo, Kenya Airways to Dubai, Korean Air to Seoul, Lufthansa to Frankfurt, Malaysia Airlines to Kota Kinabalu, Northwest Airlines to Tokyo-Narita, Singapore Airlines to Singapore, Thai Airways International to Bangkok, Tiger Airways to Singapore, Transaro to Moscow-Domodedovo, and Vietnam Airlines to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Flights by Cebu Pacific to Manila will start by the last quarter of 2007 and United Airlines to San Francisco by 2008, depending on government approval.

For within China, they have Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, East Star Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines. Cargo flights are done by Air France Cargo, Asiana Cargo, China Postal Airlines, JAL Cargo, Korean Air Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, Malaysia Airlines Kargo, NWA Cargo, Saudi Arabian Airlines Cargo, United Parcel Services, and Volga Dnepr.

Transport Services

There are buses available, such as the Airport Express, which is the major bus operator that caters to passengers from Guangzhou City and Pearl-River Delta to the airport. Taxis are also on hand, although at a higher cost. Parking services are systematically arranged for easy access.

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