Yibin Wuliangye Airport

Overview

The airport received approval from the State Council of China in May 2012. It occupies an area of 4,500 mu (300 ha) in Zongchang Town (宗场), Cuiping District, 11 km northwest of the city center. Construction began in October 2016 with a total investment of 2.927 billion yuan, and the airport opened on 5 December 2019. It replaced the older Yibin Caiba Airport. The passenger movements of the airport in 2023 were 2,050,861, making it the 73rd busiest airport in China.

Facilities

The airport has a runway that is 2,600 m long and 45 m wide (class 4C), a 24,000 m2 terminal building, and 13 aircraft parking aprons. It is projected to handle 2.5 million passengers annually by 2024.

Airlines and destinations

| Air China | Beijing–Capital, Beijing–Daxing

| Air Travel | Changsha, Lijiang, Wuxi

| China Eastern Airlines | Kunming, Nanjing, Qingdao,

| China Express Airlines | Chongqing, Xichang

| Colorful Guizhou Airlines | Fuzhou, Wuhan, Yiwu, Zhengzhou

| Shenzhen Airlines | Hefei, Quanzhou, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Wenzhou

| Sichuan Airlines | Beijing–Capital, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Sanya, Ürümqi, Xi'an, Yancheng

| Tibet Airlines | Changzhou, Dali, Hangzhou, Lhasa, Xuzhou

Naming

The airport is named after Wuliangye, a famous liquor made in Yibin. This choice of name caused controversy in China. The name has been a target of ridicule by the public and is considered illegal by some legal experts. Although Zunyi Maotai Airport, an airport in Guizhou Province, is also named after a famous liquor brand, Maotai, it has not attracted as much criticism as Maotai itself is named after a town. Responding to the controversy, the Wuliangye Company has declared that it has not paid to have the airport named after its brand.

References

References

1. link. Dongfang Daily. (25 May 2012)
2. Yao Xiaolan 姚晓岚. (2019-12-05). "宜宾五粮液机场今日通航：预计明后年通航城市将达到40个".
3. link. Carnoc. (23 May 2012)
4. "2023年民航机场吞吐量排名".
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10. "注意！晋江国际机场已执行民航2023年冬航季航班计划！".
11. "Sichuan Airlines / Chengdu Airlines NW22 Domestic Network Additions".
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13. "2023年新航季川航最新航线出炉，附国际/地区航线新消息".
14. "‌西双版纳区域机场管理分公司2025年夏秋航季时刻表请查收！".
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16. "‌干货收藏！徐州机场夏航季航班计划都在这里→".
17. link. Yicai Daily. (25 May 2012)
18. link. Beijing Morning Post. (10 June 2012)