Weining Caohai Airport (IATA: WNJ, ICAO: ZUWN) is an under-construction civil airport located in Weining Yi, Hui, and Miao Autonomous County, Bijie City, Guizhou Province, China. It is situated at the junction of Liuqiao Subdistrict and Shanqiao Subdistrict, approximately 5 kilometers in a straight line from the county seat, and about 8 kilometers east of the Caohai National Nature Reserve.
Overview
The airport is named after Caohai Lake (Grass Sea), a significant natural freshwater lake and nature reserve in Weining County. It is classified as a 4C-class tourist feeder airport and is categorized as a high-plateau airport, with an elevation of 2,449.7 meters (8,037 feet).
Specifications
- Runway: 3,000 meters (9,843 feet) long and 45 meters wide
- Terminal building area: 4,000 square meters
- Parking lot area: 4,300 square meters
- Aircraft stands: 5 (civil aviation apron)
- Flight zone grade: 4C
- Design capacity (by 2025): 350,000 passengers annually, 1,050 tons of cargo and mail, and 3,660 aircraft movements
- Navigation aids: Category I Precision Approach System for the primary landing direction; Type B Simple Approach Lighting System (420 meters) for the secondary landing direction; one vertical taxiway (136.5 meters long, 18 meters wide)
History
- July 11, 2012: Preliminary site selection at the Majiaoyan Site in Caohai Town was determined.
- August 28, 2014: Groundbreaking ceremony held.
- July 20, 2017: Feasibility study report approved by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
- March 23, 2019: Official construction commenced.
- November 4, 2023: Public consultation on the airport's official name.
- May 2024: Main projects including land leveling and the terminal building structure were completed.
- December 2024: The airport was officially named "Weining Caohai Airport" with approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
- Expected operations: The airport is anticipated to commence operations by the end of 2025.
Planned Routes
Upon completion, the airport is expected to operate scheduled flights to destinations including Kunming, Guiyang, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanning, Guangzhou, and Beijing.
Significance
The airport is part of Guizhou Province's plan to establish a "one hub and sixteen feeder airports" civil transport airport network. Its construction aims to improve the regional transportation layout in Southwest China, support local economic and social development, and boost tourism to the Caohai National Nature Reserve and surrounding highland areas.
