Major Airports in China

China has built one of the largest and fastest-growing aviation networks in the world. In barely two decades it has gone from a handful of major airports to nearly 200 with scheduled service, anchored by giant hubs in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shenzhen — several of them among the biggest and newest airports anywhere.

Below we map and rank China’s major airports by the number of nonstop destinations each one serves, drawn from live route data on AirportRoutes. Because the figures come from observed flight data — a large sample rather than a complete published timetable — we treat them as a strong guide to relative connectivity rather than exact, official totals.

Which Chinese airports fly internationally — and to the US?

China’s long-haul flying is concentrated in three hubs. Shanghai Pudong (PVG) is the country’s busiest international gateway, home to China Eastern; Beijing Capital (PEK) is the base of Air China; and Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) is the hub of China Southern, the largest airline in Asia. Together they handle the bulk of China’s intercontinental routes to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

Flights to the United States are a special case. Before 2020, the China–U.S. market was one of the world’s biggest long-haul corridors; it was then cut dramatically during the pandemic and has recovered only partially amid limited flight allowances and geopolitical friction. The nonstop routes that remain — to cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Seattle — run almost entirely from Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. (Several Chinese airports also show links to Anchorage, but those are cargo flights, not passenger service.)

A closer look at China’s biggest airports

🏙️ Shanghai Pudong (PVG)

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Shanghai Pudong is China’s busiest international gateway and the long-haul hub of China Eastern Airlines. Built on reclaimed land east of the city, it handles most of Shanghai’s overseas flights, while the older Hongqiao airport focuses on domestic and regional routes.

Serving Shanghai, PVG reaches about 189 regularly-served nonstop destinations, including roughly 45 intercontinental routes. Top destinations include Anchorage, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Shenzhen, Chengdu.

Main airlines: China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, Air China. See the full route map for PVG on AirportRoutes →

🐼 Chengdu Tianfu (TFU)

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Chengdu Tianfu opened in 2021 as one of the largest new airports in the world, giving the Sichuan capital — famous for its giant pandas — a second major airport alongside the older Shuangliu. It is a fast-growing gateway to western China and Tibet.

Serving Chengdu, TFU reaches about 170 regularly-served nonstop destinations, including roughly 19 intercontinental routes. Top destinations include Changsha, Kashgar, Nyingchi, Bangkok, Lhasa.

Main airlines: Air China, Sichuan Airlines, China Eastern, Chengdu Airlines. See the full route map for TFU on AirportRoutes →

🏯 Beijing Capital (PEK)

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Beijing Capital is the home base of Air China and, before 2020, was the second-busiest airport in the world by passengers. Its vast Terminal 3 — a Norman Foster design over three kilometres long — was briefly the largest building on the planet.

Serving Beijing, PEK reaches about 151 regularly-served nonstop destinations, including roughly 46 intercontinental routes. Top destinations include Dalian, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu.

Main airlines: Air China, Hainan Airlines, China Southern, China Eastern. See the full route map for PEK on AirportRoutes →

🌆 Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN)

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Guangzhou Baiyun is the mega-hub of China Southern, the largest airline in Asia, and the main air gateway to the Pearl River Delta — the vast manufacturing region around Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. It carries heavy traffic to Southeast Asia, Africa and Australia.

Serving Guangzhou, CAN reaches about 151 regularly-served nonstop destinations, including roughly 34 intercontinental routes. Top destinations include Beijing, Anchorage, Shanghai, London, Zhengzhou.

Main airlines: China Southern, 9 Air, China Eastern, Shenzhen Airlines. See the full route map for CAN on AirportRoutes →

🌉 Chongqing Jiangbei (CKG)

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Chongqing Jiangbei serves one of the world’s largest cities — the sprawling, mountainous municipality of Chongqing in southwest China. A major base for Sichuan Airlines, it has grown rapidly as inland China’s economy has boomed.

Serving Chongqing, CKG reaches about 135 regularly-served nonstop destinations, including roughly 13 intercontinental routes. Top destinations include Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Singapore, Shenzhen.

Main airlines: Sichuan Airlines, West Air, China Express, Air China. See the full route map for CKG on AirportRoutes →

💻 Shenzhen Bao’an (SZX)

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Shenzhen Bao’an serves China’s tech megacity, just across the border from Hong Kong. Home to Shenzhen Airlines, its sweeping honeycomb terminal by architect Massimiliano Fuksas is one of the most striking airport buildings in the country.

Serving Shenzhen, SZX reaches about 134 regularly-served nonstop destinations, including roughly 19 intercontinental routes. Top destinations include Hangzhou, Beijing, Ezhou, Shanghai, Wuhan.

Main airlines: Shenzhen Airlines, China Southern, Hainan Airlines, Donghai Airlines. See the full route map for SZX on AirportRoutes →

⭐ Beijing Daxing (PKX)

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Beijing Daxing opened in 2019 as the capital’s second major airport, south of the city. Its vast starfish-shaped terminal — the last major work designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid — is among the largest single airport buildings ever built, and is a growing base for China Southern and China Eastern.

Serving Beijing, PKX reaches about 131 regularly-served nonstop destinations, including roughly 10 intercontinental routes. Top destinations include Shenzhen, Xi’an, Harbin, Dalian, Changsha.

Main airlines: China Southern, China Eastern, China United Airlines, Air China. See the full route map for PKX on AirportRoutes →

🌸 Kunming Changshui (KMG)

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Kunming Changshui serves the capital of Yunnan, the high-altitude “spring city” in China’s far southwest. A hub for China Eastern, it is the country’s main gateway to Southeast Asia and to the spectacular landscapes of Yunnan and the Tibetan borderlands.

Serving Kunming, KMG reaches about 130 regularly-served nonstop destinations, overwhelmingly within China and to nearby Asia. Top destinations include Beijing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Changsha, Nanchang.

Main airlines: China Eastern, Lucky Air, Kunming Airlines, Ruili Airlines. See the full route map for KMG on AirportRoutes →

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