The airport,formerly named Shuangguisi Airport,opened as a military-owned airport in 1938 during the Second Sino-Japanese War,a major theater of World War II.[2][3] At the time,its runway was only large enough for small biplanes. It was also where the Republic of China Air ForcePolikarpov I-15 fighters of the 5th Pursuit Group were based to defend the Chengdu area against Imperial Japanese bomber raids;this following the Chinese retreat from Wuhan to Chungking (now Chongqing) as the new provisional capital in aftermath of the Battle of Wuhan against the Imperial Japanese onslaught. Civilian targets were indiscriminately bombed,and ace fighter pilot of the Chinese Air Force Major Wong Sun-shui,Captain Cen Zeliu and Lieutenant Lin Heng (younger brother of renowned architect and poet Lin Huiyin) flying in their I-15 fighter planes were all killed over Shuangliu air base as a result of battling against the most advanced fighter aircraft of the time;the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" (Reisen) fighter,in defense of Chengdu on 14 March 1941.[4][5][6][7]
When the United States was shocked into World War II with the Pearl Harbor attack,the airport became known as "Shwangliu Airfield" as it was later used by the United States Army Air ForcesFourteenth Air Force as part of the China Defensive Campaign (1942–1945). It was used as a fighter base by the 33d Fighter Group,which flew P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers from the airport in 1944 to support Chinese ground forces,and also by reconnaissance units that operated camera-equipped P-38 Lightnings that located Japanese forces and provided intelligence to the fighter-bombers. The Americans closed their facilities at Shwangliu Airfield at the end of August 1945.[8][9]
People's Republic era
On 12 December 1956,the Shuangguisi Airport was put under civil aviation,which was then formally listed as a civil aviation airport and renamed Chengdu Shuangliu Airport. In 1957,the flights of Chengdu civil aviation were shifted to Shuangliu Airport from Guanghan Airport. The flight courses from Chengdu were thus opened to various cities within China including Beijing,Taiyuan,Xi'an,Chongqing,Kunming,Guiyang,and Nanchong.[10]
Current status
A large-scale expansion was conducted on flight area and navigation area from 1994 to 2001. The runway was extended to 3,600 metres (11,811ft) with Class 4E rating,allowing for larger jumbo jets including the Boeing 747-400. The newly built terminal building was incorporated with a three-parallel-porch design,accommodating an hourly capacity of 3,500 passengers during rush hours,while the previous terminal building was only designated for regional flights within Sichuan and Chongqing.[citation needed]
The construction of its second runway started from late 2008,and service commenced in December 2009. The completed new runway,3,600 metres (11,811ft) in length and 60 metres (197ft) in width,upgraded the previous flight area rating from 4E to 4F,capable of handling the Airbus A380.[13]
On 9 June 2014,United Airlines began operating a nonstop service from San Francisco to Chengdu,connecting central China to the United States non-stop for the first time.[14] Service to the US has since expanded,as Hainan Airlines now offers nonstop service from Chengdu to Los Angeles[15] and began nonstop service to New York–JFK in October 2017.[16]
With the opening of Chengdu Tianfu International Airport on 27 June 2021,[17] it is planned for most international and cargo routes to be moved away from Shuangliu Airport,which is to mainly operate domestic flights going forward.[18]
Entrance C of Terminal 2 of Shuangliu International Airport Station, Chengdu Metro
Airport Bus No. 1, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport – City Centre (Minshan Hotel, Section 2 of Renmin Road South, Metro station of Jinjiang Hotel); single ticket: ¥10.
Airport Bus No. 2, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport – Chengdu railway station (North Railway Station); single ticket: up to ¥10.
Airport Bus No. 3, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport – Chengdu East railway station (Chengdu Dong Railway Station); single ticket: ¥12.
Taxi
It costs about RMB 60 Yuan from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to the city centre of Chengdu.
↑ Sun, Lianggang. "Shanghai 1937 – Where World War II Began". Shanghai 1937: Where World War II Began. Retrieved 10 December 2020. When did World War II begin? Shanghai 1937: Where World War II Began answers that question in a way most audiences will find surprising. Americans might say December 7, 1941… The day the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. For Europeans, it was September 1, 1939… When Nazi Germany invaded Poland. But in China, people will tell you a different date. August 13, 1937.
↑ "314 Air Battle over Shuangliu". air.mnd.gov.tw. Retrieved 10 December 2020. ... the ROCAF pilots were in high morale and fighting spirits, they suffered a great loss of 10 planes destroyed and 7 damaged to Japanese new Zeros. PG Cmdr. Huang Xin-rui, Deputy Cmdr. Cen Ze-liu, SQ Cmdr. Chou Lin-xu, Pilot Ren Xian, Pilot Lin Heng, Pilot Jiang Dong-sheng, Pilot Yuan Fang-bing, Pilot Chen Peng-yang were all killed in action.
↑ Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN0-89201-092-4
↑ "国际航线全部平移至天府机场 全货机航线分阶段平移至天府机场 现有地区航线可保留在双流机场"[All international routes are shifted to Tianfu Airport. All cargo routes are shifted to Tianfu Airport in stages. Existing regional routes can be kept at Shuangliu Airport.]. e.chengdu.cn. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
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