Chengdu Ranks 3rd in China for 2025 Airport Passenger Throughput

According to the ranking released by the big data platform CADAS,

In 2025, the total number of China’s air passengers surpassed 500 million. Backed by its notable achievements—Chengdu ranked third nationwide for urban passenger trips, and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport ranked fifth in China for passenger volume—Chengdu maintained its position as the “third aviation hub” in the Chinese mainland and reinforced its status as the “fourth pole” in the national civil aviation industry.

Chengdu’s annual passenger throughput of 90 million kept the city in third place nationwide, following Shanghai and Beijing. It became the third aviation city in the Chinese mainland to reach the 90 million milestone. Additionally, 2025 marked the third consecutive year Chengdu achieved an increase of over 10 million in its annual passenger throughput, which rose from 70 million in 2023 to 90 million in 2025.

On the airport front, Chengdu Tianfu International Airport maintained the fifth position among airports across China from the previous year, following Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport, and Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport. In 2025, the airport launched, resumed, and increased flights on 25 international passenger air routes, contributing a net increase of over 800,000 passenger trips. Meanwhile, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport enhanced its services for premium business routes. Its premium business express flights to and from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Urumqi, Lhasa, Hangzhou, and Nanjing contributed 57% of China’s passenger throughput. The complementary synergy between the two airports ensures that Chengdu’s aviation hub maintains a leading position in China for operational capacity.

Regionally, Chengdu consistently expanded its influence as a gateway city in southwestern China. In 2025, Chengdu’s international (and regional) passenger traffic surpassed 6 million, a recovery to over 95% of the 2019 level for the same period that placed the city among the fastest recovering cities in China. Notably, the passenger traffic of direct flights to Europe, Africa, and Oceania rebounded to 167%, 218%, and 136% of the 2019 level, respectively. A network of 61 international (and regional) passenger air routes now places major global hubs within a 10-hour flight from Chengdu. The connectivity turns same-day round trips to principal Asian cities into a reality.

Source: HomeinChengdu