New airport in Kunming

Posted in: Forums > Living in Kunming • 15 posts • Newest

• • BBinKMG
    January 28, 2010
    37 posts
  • Does anyone have an idea about when the new airport is likely to be open? I've been following it for years and it seems like the open date just changes by one year forward each year.

    It seems odd that we don't ever see any news on this other than when there is an accident. But then, maybe I'm one of the few who cares. I'm looking forward to more direct international flights.

• • Badger Deluxe
    March 13, 2010
    3 posts
  • It's due to open at ther start of 2012.

• • flyingtiger
    March 13, 2010
    2 posts
  • ...and is claimed to be one of the top 5 biggest airports in Asia.

• • dirkje
    July 29, 2010
    4 posts
  • There is not much information to find about the recent developments.Is anyone there who has more info?Has someone already taken a look at the spot?Please give me an update:-)

• • detroitweb
    July 29, 2010
    5 posts
  • I took the train due east of KMG and it rolls by the new airport. It is coming along. I have 3 friends that work there. They all say Jan. 1 2012.

• • dirkje
    July 30, 2010
    4 posts
  • Thanks detroitweb.

• • dirkje
    August 2, 2010
    4 posts
  • There are some photos available

    http://news.kunming.cn/[...]

• • nnoble
    October 31, 2011
    178 posts
  • Heard KLM is in negotiation to operate flights from new airport. Amsterdam, Schiphol direct flight would be nice. Anyone heard or read anything more concrete?

• • Aaron Chan
    October 31, 2011
    4 posts
  • It will be available in the Januray 1,2012.I'm told the airport is the fourth large international airport in China.I have seen some pictures about it and think it is really a spectacular building!

• • nnoble
    October 31, 2011
    178 posts
  • Not so much interested in how big or how beautiful, more concerned with where the aircraft go, particularly the international flights heading toward Europe.

• • AlPage48
    November 1, 2011
    185 posts
  • Not so much interested in Europe but really hope somebody adds a flight to Toronto.

• • lucakun
    November 1, 2011
    4 posts
  • yeah, what about low cost flight? Any news from Airasia or Tiger Airways?

• • Aaron Chan
    November 1, 2011
    4 posts
  • I'm told it will add a flight to Australia. I think it's impossible to add the flight to Europe or Toronto because there aren't enough demands to afford it.

• • Frankn
    November 2, 2011
    6 posts
  • anyone know where there is a listing of proposed routes - surley if its due to open within months the contacts with the major airlines have been finalised and the advertsing of those routes underway??

• • Yuanyangren
    November 2, 2011
    176 posts
  • @detroitweb, you say you have 3 friends that work there? Are they foreigners or Chinese? I have never heard of a foreigner working on a construction site in China, and even in the development stage of most projects in Yunnan at least, few foreigners seem to be involved (or so it would seem).

    Back on topic. I have also heard about proposals to link the new Kunming airport with Europe, Australia etc. but I'd say if that were to happen at all, expect only China Eastern or other Chinese carriers to add any such capacity. There is simply no way European or Australian, North American etc. carriers would have any interest in such a route for the time being, not before they all fly to more profitable destinations such as Guangzhou and Chengdu first (some of them do, but not all) and then and only then would Kunming even be considered.

    Many airlines from the region such as THAI have reduced capacity to Kunming in recent years, from 7 to 5 flights per week from Bangkok and no more service from Chiang Mai. Vietnam Airlines generally uses smaller, older aircraft on the Hanoi-Kunming route rather than A320s, which it previously operated on some flights on this route. Therefore, time will tell if the new airport will attract back some of the interest in terms of greater flight frequencies and capacity that Kunming seems to have lost over the last couple of years.

    If anything, I think the new airport could and should do what it can to attract more low cost carriers. First of all, Kunming residents don't have the incomes to support a large number of only legacy carriers as their only travel choice, when other airports such as Chengdu have low cost carriers such as Air Asia. Low cost carriers would thus be able to link Kunming with more regional cities, something it should focus on first, rather than trying to attract interest from airlines to link cities in other continents (which would be convenient, but not realistic at this time, not until Kunming becomes another Guangzhou or Shanghai).

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