Nanjing Lukou International Airport
Nanjing Lukou International Airport (IATA: NKG, ICAO: ZSNJ) is the main airport serving Nanjing (the capital of Jiangsu Province) and a major airport serving the Yangtze River Delta area. As of 2016, it is the 12th busiest civil airport in China. It is located in the suburban Jiangning District, over 35 km (22 mi) south of the city center, and is connected to Nanjing and neighboring towns by expressways. Phase I of the Ninggao Intercity Line and Line S1 of the Nanjing Metro link the airport with Nanjing South railway station.
Nanjing is the hub for China Eastern Airlines’ Jiangsu Company, and a focus city for Shenzhen Airlines. China Southern Airlines and XiamenAir also operate a considerable number of flights there. Nanjing is the main base for China Postal Airlines, with pure cargo service to all major cities in China, handling express mail and cargo transportation for China Post. In 2017, the airport handled 25,822,936 passengers and 374,214.9 tons of freight.[2]
History
Construction of Nanjing Lukou International Airport started on February 28, 1995, and was completed two years later. When the airport opened on July 1, 1997, all civilian operations were transferred to it from Nanjing Dajiaochang Airport, and Nanjing Dajiaochang was converted to a Chinese military air base.
Although Nanjing Lukou had been designated an international airport since commencing operations, China’s state administrations only approved it for foreign aircraft on November 18, 1997.
In 2006, China Post started building its express logistics center at Nanjing Lukou to handle its express mail services. Initial construction was completed by 2009, with additional facilities and functions added continuously. The final project, as planned, would be the largest in Asia and the third-largest in the world of its kind.[3]
Lufthansa began the first intercontinental air route out of Nanjing, to Frankfurt, Germany, on 31 March 2008.[4]
In 2009, the airport handled 10 million passengers.[5] In 2013, that number surpassed 15 million, which was 3 million above the terminal’s designed operational capacity. In preparation for the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics, hosted by Nanjing, Terminal 2 was completed after more than three years of construction. Also completed were a new parallel runway with taxiways, a new tower, new aircraft parking positions, and new cargo handling facilities. On July 12, 2014, all flights were relocated to Terminal 2, and Terminal 1 was closed for renovation.[6]
The new facilities removed the bottleneck caused by the limited capability of the old terminal and runway. In November 2014, with the launching of the Phase 2 expansion and optimization of neighboring air traffic patterns, authorities approved an increase of peak-hour flight volume from 28 flights per hour to 38 flights per hour.[7]
With the added capacity, Nanjing Airport has seen rapid increase in both aircraft movement and total passengers. In 2015, the number of total passengers exceeded 19 million (until Dec 28), that is 2.87 million on top of 2014, a 17.7% increase compared to the same period of the previous year.[8] The airport continues to see substantial increase into 2016, which saw 29,210 aircraft movements and 3.39 million passengers handled in January and February, a 16.9% and a 21.2% increase respectively, comparing to the same period 2015.[9]
Composition
The airport consists of two terminals, two 3600-meter runways (paralleled by three taxiways and connected by two taxiways), two control towers, a cargo center, a transportation center, and an apron. Adjacent to, but not belonging to, the airport is the China Post express logistics center and the base for China Postal Airlines.
The older section of the airport consists of:
- Terminal 1 (floor space 132,000m², 16 boarding bridges, annual capacity 12 million passengers)
- one northern runway (length 3600 m, width 60 m, 4E rating)
- one taxiway (length 3600 m, width 45 m)
- a cargo center (34,000m²)
- an apron (447,000m²)
- a control tower (height 87 m[10])
Terminal 1 is currently closed for renovation. All passenger flights are handled by Terminal 2.
The Phase 2 expansion includes:[11]
- Terminal 2 (263,000m² floor space, 35 boarding bridges, annual capacity 18 million passengers)
- a new 4F-rating southern runway and two parallel taxiways
- two taxiways connecting the northern and southern runways
- 20 aircraft parking positions
- a second control tower (height 107 m[10])
- an 11,000m² carpark
- a transportation center, which seats a subway station, a coach station, a Pullman Hotel,[12] and shopping and dining facilities
The two terminals are also connected by the transportation center structure.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| 9 Air | Changchun, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Haikou, Harbin, Nanning |
| Air China | Beijing–Capital, Chengdu, Chongqing |
| Air China operated by Dalian Airlines |
Dalian, Fuzhou |
| Air Macau | Macau |
| Air Travel | Baoshan, Hohhot, Kunming, Xining |
| Asiana Airlines | Seoul–Incheon |
| Beijing Capital Airlines | Chongqing, Guilin, Guiyang, Haikou, Harbin, Hohhot, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lijiang, Sanya, Shijiazhuang, Xi’an, Yichang |
| Cathay Dragon | Hong Kong |
| Chengdu Airlines | Changsha, Chengdu |
| China Eastern Airlines | Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Baotou, Beihai,[13] Beijing–Capital, Changchun, Changsha, Chengdu, Chifeng,[14] Chongqing, Dali, Dalian, Daqing,[15] Dunhuang, Fuzhou,[14] Guangzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Harbin, Hohhot, Hong Kong, Jiayuguan, Jieyang,[16] Jinggangshan, Kaohsiung, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lianyungang,[17] Liuzhou,[13] Los Angeles, Mudanjiang,[14] Nanning, Osaka–Kansai, Panzhihua, Phuket, Qingdao, Sanya, Sapporo–Chitose, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang, Sydney, Taichung, Taipei–Taoyuan, Taiyuan, Tokyo–Narita, Tongren, Urumqi, Vancouver, Weihai,[14] Xi’an, Xiamen, Xining, Xishuangbanna, Yan’an,[13] Yibin,[17] Yinchuan, Yining, Zhanjiang, Zhengzhou, Zhuhai, Zunyi–Xinzhou Seasonal: Chiang Mai[17] Seasonal Charter: Yangon[18] |
| China Southern Airlines | Baotou, Changchun, Changsha, Dalian, Guangzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Haikou, Harbin, Hohhot, Jieyang, Jinzhou, Korla, Linfen, Nanning, Sanya, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Urumqi, Xining, Yinchuan, Yining, Zhuhai |
| China Southern Airlines operated by Chongqing Airlines |
Chongqing, Yinchuan |
| China United Airlines | Ordos |
| Citilink | Charter: Denpasar/Bali,[19] Manado[20] |
| Colorful Guizhou Airlines | Guiyang |
| Donghai Airlines | Changchun, Mandalay,[21] Shenzhen |
| Finnair | Helsinki[22] |
| Hainan Airlines | Changsha, Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Harbin, Qinhuangdao, Sanya, Shenzhen, Taiyuan, Urumqi, Xi’an |
| Hebei Airlines | Hohhot, Shijiazhuang, Songyuan, Zhanjiang Seasonal: Manzhouli,[23] Xiamen[23] |
| Hong Kong Airlines | Hong Kong |
| Jiangxi Air | Nanchang, Zhuhai |
| Juneyao Airlines | Anshan, Beihai, Bijie, Changchun, Changzhi, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Daqing, Guilin, Guiyang, Harbin, Huizhou, Jeju,[24] Kunming, Lijiang, Liuzhou, Mandalay, Nagoya–Centrair,[25] Naha,[26] Nanchang, Nanning, Osaka–Kansai,[27] Qingdao, Sapporo–Chitose,[28] Shenyang, Taiyuan, Vladivostok,[29] Xi’an, Xiamen, Yancheng, Yanji, Yinchuan, Yulin, Zhangjiajie |
| Korean Air | Busan |
| Kunming Airlines | Baoshan, Kunming, Tengchong, Zunyi–Maotai |
| Lanmei Airlines | Siem Reap |
| Lucky Air | Kunming, Lijiang, Longyan, Luzhou |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt |
| Malaysia Airlines | Kuala Lumpur–International |
| Maldivian | Charter: Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Malé |
| Malindo Air | Seasonal charter: Langkawi[30] |
| Mandarin Airlines | Taipei–Taoyuan |
| Neos | Milan–Malpensa |
| New Gen Airways | Charter: Krabi |
| NokScoot | Bangkok–Don Mueang |
| Okay Airways | Changsha, Guilin |
| Philippine Airlines operated by PAL Express |
Kalibo |
| Qingdao Airlines | Qingdao, Sihanoukville[31] |
| Scoot | Singapore |
| Shandong Airlines | Anshun, Guiyang, Guilin, Jiamusi, Qingdao, Urumqi, Xiamen, Yantai |
| Shanghai Airlines | Jieyang[16] |
| Shenzhen Airlines | Changchun, Chengdu, Chongqing, Datong, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Haikou, Harbin, Lanzhou, Lijiang, Nanning, Quanzhou, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Taiyuan, Wanzhou, Xi’an, Xining, Yichun, Yinchuan, Yuncheng, Zhuhai |
| Sichuan Airlines | Chengdu, Chongqing, Harbin, Kunming, Lijiang, Mianyang, Sanya, Xichang, Zhangjiajie |
| Spring Airlines | Jeju (begins 14 August 2019),[32] Jieyang, Shenyang, Weihai |
| Sriwijaya Air | Charter: Denpasar/Bali |
| Thai AirAsia | Bangkok–Don Mueang |
| Thai Lion Air | Bangkok–Don Mueang, Phuket Seasonal: Chiang Mai[33] Seasonal Charter: Krabi |
| Tianjin Airlines | Dalian, Guiyang, Xi’an |
| Tibet Airlines | Lhasa, Guiyang, Mianyang, Xining |
| Uni Air | Taipei–Taoyuan |
| West Air | Chongqing, Guiyang, Jieyang, Shenzhen |
| XiamenAir | Changchun, Changsha, Dalian, Fuzhou, Harbin, Quanzhou, Xiamen, Yuncheng |
Cargo
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| China Airlines Cargo | Taipei–Taoyuan, Zhengzhou |
| Air China Cargo | Changchun, Chengdu |
| China Postal Airlines | Beijing–Capital, Changchun, Chengdu, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Kunming, Qingdao, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang, Tianjin, Weifang, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Xi’an |
| Ethiopian Airlines Cargo | Addis Ababa, Lagos, Liege, São Paulo-Guarulhos, Santiago de Chile[34] |
| Singapore Airlines Cargo | Anchorage, Los Angeles, Singapore, Xiamen |
Ground transportation
Airport shuttle
City to airport
- From Nanjing South Railway Station: 6:00–21:00, every 20 minutes, duration 40 minutes
- From Nanjing Railway Station East Square (with a stop at 221 Middle Longpan Road): 5:40–21:00, every 20 minutes, duration 80 minutes
Airport to city
- Line 1: 30 minutes after the first landing to the last landing of the day (stops: Yuhua Square, Qinhong Bridge, Xihuamen, Nanjing railway station); max. interval 30 minutes
- Line 2: 9:30–22:30 (stops: Cuipingshan Hotel, Nanjing South railway station, Zhonghuamen Subway Station), max. interval 30 minutes
Expressway
The airport is accessed by Konggang Road, which connects to the Airport Expressway. The Airport Expressway is part of S55 Ningxuan (Nanjing-Xuancheng) Expressway.
Rail
The Lukou Airport Station on Line S1 of the Nanjing Metro links the airport with Nanjing South Railway Station. Operation hours are from 6 AM (from Nanjing South Railway Station) or 6:40 AM (from the airport) to 10 PM, at 9’57” intervals in peak hours and 13’16” intervals in low hours. The entire journey takes approximately 35 minutes and costs 6 RMB.[36] At Nanjing South railway station, passengers can transfer to high-speed trains to other cities, coach services to nearby towns, and Nanjing subway and bus lines.
Taxi
Taxis are easily accessible outside the arrivals hall. Fare between the airport and city area ranges from ¥80 to ¥120.
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