Changsha Huanghua International Airport

2026-06-04

Development History

Changsha Huanghua International Airport officially commenced operations on August 29, 1989. The main buildings and facilities included a 2,600-meter runway, a terminal building with a floor area of 6,658 square meters, as well as an air traffic control building, fuel depot, weather radar station, hangars, etc., handling an annual passenger throughput of 60,000 that year.

In 1996, Changsha Huanghua International Airport's annual passenger throughput exceeded 1.78 million.

In September 1998, construction of the second-generation terminal building at Changsha Huanghua International Airport officially began.

In August 2000, the second-generation terminal building (T1) of Changsha Huanghua International Airport, with an investment of 404 million yuan and a floor area of 34,000 square meters, was completed.

In July 2006, the airfield expansion project at Changsha Huanghua International Airport commenced, extending the runway from 2,600 meters to 3,200 meters, thereby removing restrictions on long-distance transoceanic flight routes.

In 2009, construction of the new terminal building (T2) at Changsha Huanghua International Airport began.

In 2010, Changsha Huanghua International Airport handled over 500,000 international passenger arrivals and departures annually.

In 2012, Changsha Huanghua International Airport was rated a SKYTRAX three-star airport.

In 2014, Changsha Huanghua International Airport's annual passenger throughput exceeded 18 million, ranking first in central China.

In 2015, Changsha Aviation Port handled over 1.5 million international passenger arrivals and departures.

In 2016, Changsha Huanghua International Airport's annual passenger throughput exceeded 20 million.

In 2017, Changsha Huanghua International Airport entered the "dual-runway" era.

In 2018, Changsha Huanghua International Airport was rated a SKYTRAX four-star airport.

Basic Information

Changsha Huanghua International Airport is a 4E-class civil international airport, currently featuring two terminal buildings, T1 and T2, with a total floor area of 236,000 square meters, of which T1 covers 51,000 square meters and T2 covers 185,000 square meters. It has two runways: the first runway is 3,200 meters long and 45 meters wide, with an airfield classification of 4E; the second runway was completed and put into operation in March 2017, and it is 3,800 meters long and 60 meters wide, with an airfield classification of 4F.

With the economic and social development of Hunan Province, Changsha Huanghua International Airport has seen its network of routes and destinations expand, driven by ever-frequent commerce, trade, tourism, exhibitions, and cultural exchanges. Before the pandemic, the airport was connected to 156 domestic and international airports, including 109 domestic and 47 international and regional destinations. Domestic routes covered all provincial capitals (except Wuhan, Zhengzhou, and Nanchang) and all major economic centers. Internationally, seven long-haul intercontinental routes were opened to Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Sydney, Melbourne, London, Moscow, and Nairobi, creating a route network that spanned five continents: Asia, North and South America, Europe, Oceania, and Africa.

In 2021, Changsha Huanghua International Airport served 105 domestic and international airports, including 95 domestic and 10 international destinations. For the whole year, passenger throughput reached 19,983,000, ranking 12th nationally, with 162,000 aircraft movements and 209,000 tons of cargo and mail throughput. It also launched the country's first air-rail-road intermodal red tourism product for the "Outside Province - Changsha - Shaoshan" route, marking the initial formation of a multimodal air-rail-road transport model. A cross-provincial transfer airport alliance was established. The airport also took the lead in the industry to implement cross-airline baggage through-check-in services across provinces.

Changsha Huanghua International Airport works closely with airlines and airport-based units to continuously innovate management and gradually form a relatively complete service system encompassing air traffic control, in-flight services, ticketing, check-in, aircraft maintenance support, air cargo, ground transportation, and catering and entertainment. In 2018, it became the fifth airport in mainland China and the first in central China with a passenger throughput exceeding ten million to receive the "SKYTRAX International Four-Star" rating. In 2020, the airport intensified its efforts to improve baggage services, special passenger services, and flight delay management, introducing services such as international pre-departure security screening and "Hands-Free Travel, Worry-Free Luggage." It introduced the "Le Xing Cheng" (Joyful Journey) unified service brand, thereby shaping a new paradigm for airport service. By 2021, Changsha Huanghua International Airport had been listed among the SKYTRAX World's Top 100 Airports for three consecutive years.