AviatDataXining Caojiabao International Airport XNN / ZLXN
Xining, Qinghai · China · Qinghai Airport Co., Ltd. (西部机场集团青海机场有限公司; wholly state-owned subsidiary of Xi'an-headquartered China West Airport Group Co., Ltd., under Shaanxi provincial SASAC since the 2006 cross-provincial reorganization that merged Qinghai's provincial airport company into the group; also manages Golmud, Yushu, Delingha, Huatugou, Guoluo and Qilian airports within Qinghai)
7.9Mpax · 2025
H24International · customs & immigrationJet A-1 · Jet Fuel No.3
ICAO / IATAZLXN / XNN
OperatorQinghai Airport Co., Ltd. (西部机场集团青海机场有限公司; wholly state-owned subsidiary of Xi'an-headquartered China West Airport Group Co., Ltd., under Shaanxi provincial SASAC since the 2006 cross-provincial reorganization that merged Qinghai's provincial airport company into the group; also manages Golmud, Yushu, Delingha, Huatugou, Guoluo and Qilian airports within Qinghai)
Coordinates36.5317°N, 102.0383°E
Elevation7,166 ft · 2,184 m
Time zoneCST (UTC+8, no DST)
Passengers / yr7,885,000 (2025)
CustomsYes
Border controlYes
SchengenNo
FuelJet A-1 · Jet Fuel No.3
Bonded—
AIP referenceZLXN — China AIP AD 2.ZLXN (CAAC eAIP, eaip.caac.gov.cn; official portal access-restricted, not an open public mirror; current cycle verified effective 2025-08-01 via third-party AIP mirror)
Operating hoursH24 - AD is operationally open 24h with no published curfew (AIP AD 2.3: 'AD Operational hours: H24'). Approach control (APP) operates H24; Tower and Ground operate HO (hours keyed to the published flight schedule, not continuous). Customs, immigration and health/sanitation are HS or on request (O/R per AIP AD 2.3), historically staffed through the T1 international hall (in service since Xining's aviation port opened December 2014).
TerminalsT1 (~10,727 sqm, opened with the airport in 1991; reconfigured as the international/regional terminal from December 2014 when Xining's Class-1 aviation port opened, with roughly 2,000 sqm given over to customs/inspection/quarantine) and T2 (42,000 sqm domestic terminal, opened July 2013, served by a 220,000 sqm apron with 33 stands) made up the pre-2025 terminal complex (~53,700 sqm combined, designed for about 7M annual passengers). A new T3 (158,000 sqm) plus an adjoining 173,000 sqm integrated ground-transport center opened 7 August 2025 as the centerpiece of the airport's Phase-3 expansion, lifting total aircraft stands from 34 to 75 (6 new boarding bridges added) and designed for 21M annual passengers, 120,000 tonnes of cargo and 161,000 aircraft movements per year. From 7 August 2025 all domestic flights moved to T3 and T2 was taken out of service; T1 continues to handle international and Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan flights.
Runways (1)
- 11/29 · 3,800 m / 12,467 ft · 45 m wide · Asphalt · ILS ILS CAT I
Airport contact
Qinghai's provincial-capital gateway and the Tibetan Plateau region's principal hub airport, sitting at 2,184 m — one of China's higher-altitude 4E trunk airports. Single runway 11/29 (3,800 x 45 m asphalt, bidirectional ILS CAT I). The 7 August 2025 opening of the 158,000 sqm T3 terminal, part of a Phase-3 expansion designed for 21M annual passengers, roughly tripled prior capacity and helped drive 2025 traffic to 7.885M passengers (+12.2% YoY) — the fastest growth of any provincial-capital or municipality airport in China that year, per Qinghai provincial government figures. China Eastern, Air China, China Southern, Shenzhen Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Lucky Air and Western Airlines are among the carriers serving XNN; the airport has held Class-1 international-port status since December 2014, with the T1 international hall historically hosting service to Bangkok, Seoul and Taipei.
Services
Available
On request / PPR
Seasonal / ageing
Unconfirmed / not listed
Ground handling
Available
青海机场有限公司 (Qinghai Airport Co., Ltd., Western Airports Group)
Self-handles passenger, ramp and turnaround services for all scheduled carriers via its own ground-service unit (registered business-registry entries show a dedicated 地面服务分公司/地面保障部 under the Qinghai Airport structure, and the terminal complex includes a standalone 地面保障部 building); in-house self-handling is the norm at Western Airports Group-operated regional airports.
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Verified 3 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Aircraft fuel
Available
中国航空油料集团有限公司青海分公司 (China National Aviation Fuel Group - Qinghai Branch, CNAF)
Into-plane Jet A-1 fuelling supplier at Xining Caojiabao Airport; CNAF's Qinghai branch financed and built a dedicated rail-fed fuel-supply line at Caojiabao (subject of a documented capacity-expansion project tied to the airport's phase-3 expansion), and CNAF Qinghai branch staff/operations are documented in connection with the 2010 Yushu earthquake relief airlift, which staged through Xining.
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Verified 3 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
De-icing
Not listed
Part-145 line maintenance
Not listed
Part-145 base maintenance
Not listed
Component shops & overhaul
Not listed
Flight catering
Available
西安国际空港食品有限公司西宁分公司 (Xi'an International Airport Food Co., Ltd. - Xining Branch)
Flight-kitchen/onboard catering operation of the Xi'an-headquartered joint venture led by Western Airports Group; confirmed as a distinct registered branch entity (procurement/bidding records list it separately), and the parent company's profile describes a network centred on Xi'an with Yinchuan and Xining as its two branch wings (以西安为中心，以银川、西宁为两翼), serving XNN's airline catering needs.
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Verified 3 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Aircraft cleaning
Unconfirmed
青海机场有限公司 (Qinghai Airport Co., Ltd., Western Airports Group)
Aircraft cabin/lavatory and water servicing is presumed bundled within the airport's own turnaround package, as is standard at Chinese regional airports; no separately named cleaning unit or third-party cleaning contractor was found in public sources.
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Verified 3 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Ground support equipment
Unconfirmed
青海机场有限公司 (Qinghai Airport Co., Ltd., Western Airports Group)
A vehicle/GSE maintenance function is plausible given the airport self-handles ramp operations, but no separately documented 'Vehicle Maintenance Center' or GSE fleet unit could be independently verified in public sources; found references were limited to aircraft line-maintenance staff performing seasonal equipment checks, not a distinct GSE workshop.
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Verified 3 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Cargo handling
Available
青海机场有限公司 (Qinghai Airport Co., Ltd., Western Airports Group)
Cargo operations at Xining Caojiabao handle freight, mail and cold-chain agricultural exports; confirmed dedicated all-cargo routes include China Post's chilled beef/mutton 'Ultra-Fresh' service, JD Logistics' Xining-Lanzhou-Wuhu freighter route, and SF Express's Xining-Ezhou freighter route, plus a Xining-Chengdu-Bangkok belly-cargo transfer service for Qinghai salmon; single-day cargo volume record of 200+ tonnes reported Feb 2026 (chinanews.com/eastmoney.com).
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Verified 3 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Aviation security
Available
青海机场有限公司 (Qinghai Airport Co., Ltd., Western Airports Group)
Runs the airport's own security-screening operation for passengers, baggage and cargo; Qinghai provincial transport-authority reporting confirms Qinghai Airport Co. operates dedicated/expanded security lanes and one-on-one assistance for elderly, disabled and other special-needs travellers during peak periods.
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Verified 3 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Passenger & crew transport
Available
青海机场有限公司 (Qinghai Airport Co., Ltd., Western Airports Group)
Operates airside apron shuttle buses (摆渡车) between the terminal and remote stands; confirmed via extensive July 2025 press coverage (Sina, People's Daily, Jiemian, Guancha) of a shuttle-bus incident on flight MU2350 at remote stand 112, including the company's own official statement on timing and cause.
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Verified 3 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Flight support
Available
Universal Aviation (China)
FBO/trip-support desk covering Caojiapu Airport (ZLXN) through local ground-supervisory agents: landing-permit coordination, catering sourcing via preferred partner Air Culinaire Worldwide, ground transportation for passengers/crew, third-party arrangements and VIP ground supervision; station contact Ricky Fang, Assistant General Manager, ••• (confirmed on Universal Aviation's own dedicated ZLXN location page).
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Verified 3 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Hotel & travel
Not listed