China’s national air carrier, Air China, announced that it had completed building its base in soon-to-be-opened Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU). The newest China’s international mega hub is expected to launch on June 30, 2021.
Air China’s new base at TFU airport includes an aircraft maintenance facility, air cargo hub, and aviation food production center. Adding to that, Air China’s Tianfu base includes supporting infrastructure: offices, hostels, and hangars.
“The hall area of the hangar is 14,290 square meters, which can meet the maintenance of two Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft, one A320 narrow-body aircraft or two A350 aircraft at the same site, and can provide aircraft and engine overhauls, passenger aircraft conversions, and aircraft retrofits,” read the airline’s statement.
The air carrier disclosed that the cargo station of Air China’s newest base would have a construction area of 69,300 square meters, and would be able to carry 244,500 tons of cargo and mail transportation. The airline’s base at Tianfu would also have a flight food production building, which would have capabilities to produce 35,000 flight meals per day.
Additionally, the airline revealed that it has built a 1,494 bedroom hostel for its employees. It also constructed a lounge at TFU airport that would cover 2,950 square meters and provide luxury services to “high-end” customers.
China’s national airline has invested 6.1 billion yuan ($954 million) in the Tianfu base with a total construction area of 581,500 square meters. The project was approved in 2016 and began construction in December 2018. To date, it is the largest infrastructure project the airline has invested in.
TFU airport plans to build a total of six runways and four terminals, with a capacity to serve approximately 90 million passengers each year. However, the first phase of the project to be put in operation will have three runways and two terminals. The airport is expected to serve 60 million passengers by 2025.
Chengdu Tianfu International Airport is the largest civil aviation project in China after the construction of Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). TFU airport is expected to become Southwest China’s major international air hub, as it would mostly focus on international routes. Tianfu being an international hub, would make Chengdu the third Chinese city to have two international airports, after Beijing and Shanghai.