Ürümqi Tianshan International Airport

Ürümqi Tianshan International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in western China and the strategic aviation hub for the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, serving 39 airlines on 229 routes to 99 nonstop destinations. Located 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Ürümqi at the foot of the Tianshan mountain range at an elevation of 2,125 ft (648 m), URC is the principal Chinese gateway to Central Asia, with regular service to Almaty, Tashkent, Bishkek, Dushanbe, Baku, Tbilisi, Tehran, and Istanbul — a route geography no other mainland Chinese airport matches at comparable density. The airport is Ürümqi is the most inland city on earth from any sea, a designation often cited to illustrate the airport's strategic importance: for Xinjiang's oil, gas, cotton, and agricultural exports, and for the region's population of 25 million, air transport is the only practical means of long-distance travel to eastern China, making URC the most heavily flown domestic long-haul origin point in the country. China Southern Airlines operates URC as its fourth-largest hub after Guangzhou, Beijing, and Shenzhen, and Xinjiang-based China Xinjiang Airlines (now absorbed into China Southern) historically anchored the base. A major expansion completed in 2024 brought Terminal T4 online, tripling the airport's passenger capacity to 63 million per year. URC operates three runways, the most of any airport in western China: 07/25 at 11,811 ft (3,600 m), the newer 08R/26L at 11,811 ft (3,600 m) and 198 ft (60 m) wide, and 08L/26R at 10,498 ft (3,200 m). The wide parallel pair accommodates independent dual operations and is rated for wide-body aircraft including the Airbus A380 and 747-8F. The airport is also a critical Belt and Road Initiative node: its cargo apron handles a growing share of China-to-Europe airfreight, and a dedicated international freight terminal supports e-commerce and refrigerated agricultural exports.