Top 10 airports in China

Airports are increasingly becoming important hubs for domestic travels in China, not to mention their role as gateways to the rest of the world. The following are the top 10 airports on the Chinese mainland based on annual passenger traffic.

10. Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport

Located 21 kilometers northeast to Chongqing City, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport is one of the three aviation hubs in China's southwestern region. It is notable for being the first airport in western China to open direct flights to Europe.

Since it started operations in 1990, the airport has established cooperative relations with 32 airlines, and connects to 80 domestic and foreign cities with more than 130 routes. It is now one of the 100 best airports in the world. Its annual passenger traffic has increased by 12.6 percent from 14.04 million in 2009 to 15.8 million in 2010.

9.Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport

Located 27 kilometers east of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport is Zhejiang's largest and busiest airport. It has been classified as a national trunk line airport and Grade A international airport by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

The construction of the airport started in 1997, and was completed in 2000. It has cooperation with 36 airlines, and serves 160 routes which connect 106 domestic and international cities. Its annual passenger traffic increased by 14.2 percent from 14.94 million in 2009 to 17.07 million in 2010. The airport now plans to build a new runway and two new terminals by 2015.

8.Xi'an Xianyang International Airport

Xi'an Xianyang International Airport is located northeast of Xianyang city, 47 kilometers away from Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. It is the largest airport in China's northwestern region, and one of the country's most important air hubs.

Currently, the airport has established cooperative relations with 20 airlines, and connects to 77 domestic and international cities with 165 routes. In 2010, the airport handled 18.01 million passengers, a 17.8 percent rise from 15.29 million in 2009, making it the busiest airport in northwest China and the 8th busiest on the Chinese mainland. It was also the 14th busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic. The airport has just finished a major expansion with a new terminal and a second runway added.