Airlines are betting big on Chengdu’s dual-airport system this winter. On 25 October, Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Sichuan Airlines and Spring Airlines all released new-season timetables featuring dozens of additional routes from Chengdu Tianfu (TFU) and Shuangliu (CTU).
Air China alone will base 116 aircraft in the city, operating 474 daily flights. It has concentrated domestic growth on fast trains with Shenzhen and Hangzhou while assigning its expanding C909 narrow-body fleet to 20 daily rotations linking TFU with lower-tier cities such as Nanchang, Guilin and Zhanjiang—cities that increasingly host inland manufacturing for consumer-electronics supply chains.
Sichuan Airlines is adding frequencies to Melbourne, Warsaw and Istanbul from December, reflecting Chengdu’s rising role as China’s western gateway for Europe and Oceania. Spring Airlines will open budget flights to Chiang Mai and Da Nang, targeting leisure travellers affected by a strong US dollar.
Chengdu airport authority has upgraded transfer facilities between the two airports, promising transit times under 90 minutes and free through-checked luggage on interline tickets—a boost for expatriates commuting between plant sites in western China.
Employers should note that peak-hour slots are heavily banked between 07:00–09:00 and 17:00–19:00; advising staff to arrive early is prudent during the first weeks of the new schedule.
Air China alone will base 116 aircraft in the city, operating 474 daily flights. It has concentrated domestic growth on fast trains with Shenzhen and Hangzhou while assigning its expanding C909 narrow-body fleet to 20 daily rotations linking TFU with lower-tier cities such as Nanchang, Guilin and Zhanjiang—cities that increasingly host inland manufacturing for consumer-electronics supply chains.
Sichuan Airlines is adding frequencies to Melbourne, Warsaw and Istanbul from December, reflecting Chengdu’s rising role as China’s western gateway for Europe and Oceania. Spring Airlines will open budget flights to Chiang Mai and Da Nang, targeting leisure travellers affected by a strong US dollar.
Chengdu airport authority has upgraded transfer facilities between the two airports, promising transit times under 90 minutes and free through-checked luggage on interline tickets—a boost for expatriates commuting between plant sites in western China.
Employers should note that peak-hour slots are heavily banked between 07:00–09:00 and 17:00–19:00; advising staff to arrive early is prudent during the first weeks of the new schedule.
