Xining Caojiapu International Airport 西宁曹家堡国际机场 | |||||||||||
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The airport terminal | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Operator | China West Airport Group | ||||||||||
| Serves | Xining andHaidong Qinghai | ||||||||||
| Location | Huzhu County, Qinghai | ||||||||||
| Opened | 27 December 1991; 33 years ago (1991-12-27) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 2,170 m / 7,119 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 36°31′39″N102°02′34″E / 36.52750°N 102.04278°E /36.52750; 102.04278 | ||||||||||
| Website | qhaport | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2023[1]) | |||||||||||
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| Source:List of the busiest airports in China, GCM,[2] STV[3] | |||||||||||
| Xining Caojiapu International Airport | |||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 西宁曹家堡国际机场 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 西寧曹家堡國際機場 | ||||||
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Xining Caojiapu International Airport (IATA:XNN,ICAO:ZLXN), is an airport servingXining, the capital ofQinghai Province, China. It is located inHuzhu County,Haidong, on theTibetan Plateau about 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of downtown Xining. The airport began operation in 1991. In October 2011, a new 3,800-meter runway entered service. The older runway now serves as ataxiway.[4][5]
The first airport in the area was located near the town ofLejiawan, 17 km (11 mi) west of the current airport. Built on the orders of military governorMa Bufang in 1931,[6] it saw limited use by commercialairlines in 1933. In 1957, the runway was expanded to 2,600 metres (8,500 ft) and more facilities were added. A commercial route flew between Xining,Lanzhou,Baotou, andBeijing with fewer than 1,000 passengers per year. The airport was shared with the military.[7]
In 1975, plans were made to relocate the airport, as the Lejiawan Airport was limited by a one-way gravel runway. Construction of Caojiapu airport was approved by theState Council on 17 May 1985 and started in 1989. The airport opened in December 1991. The site of the former airport is now a military base.[7]