Nanyuan Airport ceased civil operations on 25 September 2019, after all commercial passenger flights (operated by China United Airlines) were moved to the newly opened Beijing Daxing International Airport.[3] It remained operational as a People's Liberation Army Air Force military base until 30 September 2019, when the Beijing Nanjiao Airport [zh] (known as "New Nanyuan Airport" during construction, adjacent to Beijing Daxing Airport) opened.
History
The first aircraft landed in the Nanyuan area in 1904. In July 1907, the government built rudimentary runways in Nanyuan's Yijun training ground (also known as the Wulidian soldier training ground) and used it for a light aircraft purchased from France.[4]
In August 1910, the Qing government began to establish air transportation in China with the construction of a factory in Nanyuan to experiment with manufacturing aircraft, thereby officially opening the Nanyuan airport for regular use.[5] Nanyuan airport was the first airport in China and one of the three operational airports opened before 1910s in the world.[citation needed] After the Xinhai Revolution, Yuan Shikai, who followed suggestions from the French advisers, established the first official flying academy in China in 1913, Nanyuan Flying Academy, with Li Ruyan as chief, and purchased 10 French Caudron trainer aircraft for 300,000 silver dollars.[citation needed] After the Second Zhili–Fengtian War, the academy was closed. However, the more than 100 pilots that trained in the academy over 4 terms have played important roles in China's aviation history. Later on, some of them become key persons in civil aviation.[citation needed][vague]
In the brief episode of the Manchu Restoration led by Qing loyalist general Zhang Xun in July 1917, then-PremierDuan Qirui ordered a Caudron Type D aircraft piloted by Pan Shizhong (潘世忠) and bombardier Du Yuyuan (杜裕源) of the country's fledgling air force based in Nanyuan to fly to and drop bombs over the Forbidden City; three bombs were dropped, causing the death of a eunuch but otherwise minor damage.[6]
In 1986, China United Airlines was established as a military-owned civil airline with special authorization to use military airports.[citation needed] Becoming the first commercial airline to serve Nanyuan, it turned the airbase into its main hub.[citation needed] It has continued to operate out of the airbase despite its 2004 privatization and sale to Shanghai Airlines.[citation needed]
In 2008, Nanyuan Airport witnessed a high growth rate. The total number of passengers served increased by 80.1%, reaching 1,357,038; total freight loaded/unloaded reached 13,243 tonnes, which was a 65.6% increase from the previous year. Traffic movements also had a very strong growth rate of 72.2%, registering 12,245.[8]
Nanyuan Airport opened a new terminal in September 2013 with a designed passenger handling capacity of 6 million people.[9] The previous terminal was capable of handling 2.8 million passengers during 2011.[citation needed]
^Rottman, Gordon (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle - Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939 - 1945. Greenwood Press. p. 442. ISBN0313319065.
^民航机场运输业务量（排序） (in Simplified Chinese). Civil Aviation Administration of China. 2009-03-16. Archived from the original on 2011-05-24. Retrieved 2009-03-16.
