Guiyang airport a comprehensive transportation hub in Guizhou

With the recent expansion of high-speed rail lines, the opening of subway tracks, and an increase in the number of linked highways, Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport has formed a three-legged transportation system, greatly facilitating passenger travel and injecting more power into the economic growth of Guizhou province.

An aerial view of Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport. [Photo/ddcpc website]

On May 28, 1997, Guiyang Longdongbao Airport began its commercial operations, with passenger throughput exceeding 1 million that year.

In 2005, the airport saw that throughput jump to 3 million. On Dec 16 of that same year, the Civil Aviation Administration of China approved its upgrade to an international airport, officially opening Guizhou's aviation port to foreign aircraft, truly achieving internationalization.

On Jan 19, 2006, Guiyang Longdongbao Airport was renamed Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport, becoming the fourth international airport in southwestern China.

By 2010, the airport had embarked on further expansion. From this point on, it entered a stage of rapid development, racking up new milestones every year.

In 2013, with the completion and opening of Terminal 2, the airport's annual passenger handling capacity tripled from 5 million to 15.5 million.

In 2015, the third phase of expansion at the airport officially started. In 2021, the third phase expansion project (Terminal 3) was completed and put into operation, ushering Guizhou into a new era with a dual-runway airport at its disposal.

Nowadays, the airport is fully connected to highways, urban roads, and more, forming a comprehensive transportation network.

Inside lies Guiyang Airport Bus Station, located on the north side of Terminal 2. So far, the bus station provides transportation to major areas in Guiyang as well as to Zunyi, Anshun, Duyun, Kaili, Bijie, and other cities.

A passenger buys tickets at Guiyang Airport Bus Station. [Photo/ddcpc website]

Since Sept 20, 2015, Longdongbao Railway Station has been in operation, with high-speed trains heading to Guiyangbei, Congjiang, Guilinbei, Guangzhou South, and other directions.

On April 28, 2021, Guiyang Metro Line 2 was opened. Since then, the airport has become one of the few transportation hubs in the country that integrates railways, urban rail transit, aviation passenger transportation, and road transportation.

Guiyang Metro Line 2 connects Guiyangbei Railway Station, Guiyang Railway Station, Longdongbao Bus Station, and the airport, significantly reducing the time it takes passengers to transfer in Guiyang and improving overall travel efficiency.

Making full use of advanced technologies such as the internet of things, big data, and AI, the airport has also launched numerous smart platforms and convenient measures, making passenger travel more efficient to save people's time.

Terminal 3 of Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport. [Photo/ddcpc website]

The airport's Terminal 3 has adopted advanced technologies such as facial recognition, RFID automatic labeling, intelligent centralized image processing, intelligent channel recognition, and non-radiation millimeter wave detection.

On July 17, the airport's WeChat applet was officially launched. It provides 27 sub-service modules, including for check-in and security checks, luggage storage and tracking, airport transportation, and service assistance, better meeting the personalized needs of a wide range of passengers.

Moving forward, the airport will improve its comprehensive transportation operational capability, build an open cooperation system, and help accelerate Guizhou's high-quality development.