Changsha now home to 4-star intl Skytrax airport

The Changsha Huanghua International Airport recently became the fifth airport in the Chinese mainland to gain a four-star Skytrax rating.

The certification was given by the London-based Skytrax, one of the world's most prestigious international air transport rating organizations.

This rating put the largest airport in Hunan province on even footing with Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, and Sanya Phoenix International Airport – all of which serve tens of millions of passengers annually. Haikou Meilan International Airport in Hainan province was given a five-star Skytrax rating.

Changsha Huanghua International Airport serves Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, as well as nearby cities such as Zhuzhou and Xiangtan. It is located about 25 kilometers from downtown Changsha in the town of Huanghua, Changsha county.

Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, said that the Changsha airport has improved a lot this year with higher hygiene standards and more user-friendly service facilities. Many employees can now also speak very good English as well, he said.

The airport has been praised for consistently meeting global standards and offering great services, and it is still improving.

Terminal 1 has been put back into operation this year, international corridors have been renovated and public areas have been improved. International services have also been optimized, according to a manager.

As of November, the airport offered 282 routes, 46 of which were international. There are direct flights to Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Sydney, Moscow, London and other major cities.

The airport has served nearly 2.3 million international passengers over the past 11 months, an increase of 11.6 percent over the same period last year, and 26,673 tons of international cargo and mail have been processed, an increase of 116 percent.