The airport was opened on 12 October 1991. It occupies an area of 10.8 km2 (2,700 acres). Its first runway is 3400 m long and 45 m wide, and it has 53 parking spaces on its apron. Shenzhen airport handled 52,734,934 passengers in 2023, according to Civil Aviation Administration of China, making it the fourth-busiest airport in mainland China. The airport was also the world's twenty-fourth busiest and the twentieth-busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic, registering 1,600,347.7 tonnes of freight in 2023. In terms of passenger movements, Shenzhen airport was the 5th busiest airport in China in 2018. Air China launched the first intercontinental air route out of Shenzhen, to Frankfurt Airport, Germany, on 21 May 2016.[3]
Terminal A and B primarily served domestic flights. Terminal D, the international terminal, was opened in December 2008. It had no air gates of its own, just airside bus service to distant positions around the airport. These terminals covered an area of 152,000 square meters (1,640,000 sq ft) and consisted of 24 jetways.[4] All three former terminals were closed on 27 November 2013, with the brand new replacement Terminal 3 opening the following day.[5]
At the beginning of 2008 the 1.6 km (0.99 mi) long new terminal commenced being built as one of main works for the 2011 Summer Universiade. This new terminal building was called "Terminal 3" from the beginning of construction until its formal opening. Soon after the decision of the closure of Terminals A, B and D, "Terminal 3" was renamed as it was the only terminal building in operation. The terminal was opened on 28 November 2013 after 4 years of planning and construction.[citation needed]
A new satellite concourse, designed by Aedas, opened in December 2021. It is located directly to the north of the existing Terminal 3 building and is designed with a capacity of 22 million passengers per year. It is directly connected to the main terminal by an Automated People Mover (APM) system.[6]
The passenger transport facilities are divided into three parts: a main terminal building and two large corridors—1,050 meters (3,440 ft) long and 650 meters (2,130 ft) wide—that form a cross shape. The current terminal is three times the size of former Terminals A and B, with 450,000 square meters (4,800,000 sq ft) of floor space, 62 boarding gates[citation needed] and the ability to accommodate any type of plane in the world. The main building has four floors above ground and two floors underground. A connecting Ground Transport Center adjoins the terminal to the south. The main building's third floor is the waiting area for domestic and international flights, which depart from the east wing.
The baggage areas are a short walks away from the Ground Transportation Center (GTC), where passengers can take buses, taxis and Shenzhen Metro trains. The transportation center offers local and long-distance bus services on the first floor, with taxi and Airport Express Shuttle 330 bus services on the second floor. The underground floor connects with Airport Station on Metro Line 11. Bus M416 also provides a shuttle service to Hourui StationonLine 1. In the future, it will also connect to the Guangzhou-Dongguan-Shenzhen Intercity Railway, which is under construction.
Regular bus and minibus services links the Airport with the rest of the city. Intercity bus services to some other nearby cities such as Hong Kong and Dongguan are also available.
Local taxis, and often some taxis from Dongguan, can pick up passengers there from three designated waiting areas. These areas have the capacity to handle 21 taxi cabs picking up passengers simultaneously.[64]
Airport stationonLine 11 has direct link to the Ground Transport Center of the current Terminal, with eastbound service from the airport via Bao'an and Nanshan to Futian station, connecting with Futian railway station High Speed Rail services, and westbound service via Fuyong, Shajing and Songgang to Bitou.
There are also shuttle services connecting with Line 1 of the Shenzhen Metro. Non-stopping service M416 runs between Hourui Station and the new terminal.
Airport North Station on Line 11 is also built, under the site of future new Terminal project - "Terminal 4". However, Airport North Station is inaccessible to or from any of the airport facilities. Line 20 (Shenzhen International Exhibition Center Conveyance Project) links Airport North Station on Line 11 with services to Chongqing Road, International Exhibition Center South, International Exhibition Center North and International Conference Center stations. Line 20 opened in December 2021.
Guangzhou–Shenzhen intercity railway is currently under construction, and planning to provide services from Shenzhen Airport Station and Shenzhen Airport North Station. In the future, Shenzhen–Maoming High-Speed Railway and Hong Kong–Shenzhen Western Express Railway are planned to stop here.
Direct services to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon were suspended because the Terminals A & B's long distance from the ferry terminal made it unpopular for commuters.[citation needed] However, with the opening of Terminal C, direct services may be resumed because it is much closer.
There are many bus routes between the airport and the urban area, most of them via expressways and only cost ¥10 yuan. A future service connecting the airport with Shenzhen North station is expected to start when the new Terminal 3 opens as part of 5 new major airport express shuttle buses.[64]
A direct coach service, operated by Chinalink Bus Company, is available at Elements Mall in Hong Kong. Passengers may check-in for their flights at the bus terminal but luggage must still be carried to the airport by the passengers. The service operates from Kowloon station on the Airport Express (MTR) line direct to the Shenzhen International airport.[66]
The planned Shenzhen–Zhongshan Bridge will directly connect Shenzhen Baoan International Airport on the eastern side of the Pearl River Delta with the city of Zhongshan on the western side. It will consist of a series of bridges and tunnels and will cut travel time from Shenzhen to Zhongshan to less than 30 minutes. Construction of the proposed 51 km (32 mi) eight-lane link started in 2017, with completion scheduled for 2024.[67][68]
Shenzhen Airlines is headquartered on the grounds of the airport.[69]Jade Cargo International was headquartered on the sixth floor of the Shenzhen Airlines Flight Operations Building on grounds of Shenzhen Baoan International Airport.[70]Shenzhen Donghai Airlines has its head office in the Shenzhen Airlines facility on the airport property.[71]
SF Airlines has its headquarters in the No.1 Freight Depot of the International Shipping Center.[72]
^香港九龙机铁站往深圳机场 [Airport Railway Kowloon Station to Shenzhen Airport] (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2011. 香港九龍機鐵站往深圳機場 (全程行車時間：車程約75分鐘)
^"联系我们Archived 4 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine." Shenzhen Donghai Airlines. Retrieved on 24 February 2014.『Address:Shenzhen Baoan International Airport, Shenzhen Airlines. Post code：518128』– Chinese address: "地址：深圳市宝安区宝安国际机场航站四路3009号东海航空基地 邮政编码:518128"
^"Contact Us." SF Airlines. Retrieved on 24 February 2014. "SF Airlines Co., Ltd. Address: No.1 Freight Depot, International Shipping Center of Baoan International Airport, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, 518128, P.R.C." – Chinese address: "地 址：中国广东省深圳市宝安国际机场国际货运中心1号货站 邮 编：518128"
Media related to Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
