Baiyun Airport's Terminal 3 Becomes Operational, Inaugural Flight Operated by C919

With the smooth takeoff of China Eastern Airlines flight MU6308, operated by a C919 aircraft bound for Beijing Daxing International Airport, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport's Terminal 3 has officially been commissioned on October 30th. This milestone propels Baiyun Airport into a new operational era of "five runways and three terminals," injecting powerful momentum into the development of a world-class airport cluster and accelerating Guangzhou's ambition to become a comprehensive, multi-modal international aviation hub and gateway.

C919 Operates Inaugural Flight: Passengers Witness a Historic Moment

On the afternoon of the launch, Baiyun Airport hosted a warm and festive inaugural flight ceremony at Terminal 3. As the "lucky passengers" of the first flight from T3, everyone aboard flight MU6308 received a custom commemorative gift jointly prepared by Baiyun Airport and China Eastern Airlines. Ms. Li, a passenger on the inaugural flight, could not hide her excitement: "It's even more intelligent than I imagined. The check-in and baggage drop processes were seamless, and the terminal's design is beautiful. This trip is truly memorable."

Notably, the first inbound flight to arrive at T3 - flight MU2219 from Lanzhou - was greeted with the highest honor in civil aviation: a water salute. "This is my first time experiencing a water salute, and it coincided with the opening of Baiyun's T3. I feel incredibly fortunate!" said Ms. Zhang, a passenger who had just deplaned. "Looking down from the air, the terminal's 'Flower Crown of the City of Rams' design truly lives up to its name. It's stunning!"

Intelligent and Convenient: Hardware Upgrades for an Enhanced Travel Experience

The newly opened Terminal 3 is designed around the theme of a "flower," incorporating Guangzhou's local characteristics such as the Baiyun Mountain, the Pearl River, and its identity as the "Flower City." The building's architecture, resembling a blooming flower, creates the "Flower Crown of the City of Rams" image, establishing it as a landmark for Guangzhou's gateway to the world. In its hardware configuration, the terminal deeply integrates "smart technology" with "human-centric design" to enhance the passenger journey.

The terminal is equipped with ample passenger service facilities, including: 199 check-in counters (with fully self-service, convertible, and fully-staffed options); 60 self-service check-in kiosks; 59 self-service baggage drop units (57 convertible staff/self-service, 2 fully self-service); 87 jet bridges; 886 Flight Information Display Screens (FIDS); and 7,193 public address system speakers. Security screening efficiency has been further improved with 31 domestic and 9 international security lanes (excluding 8 planned for future use). The terminal innovatively adopts a "centralized security screening + RFID smart tray return" system. Its 21 dual-door self-verification gates can complete an identity check every 6 seconds with a misidentification rate below 0.1%. The precise binding of "passenger-tray-baggage" ensures a more orderly security process. Transportation connectivity is also more convenient; the Ground Transportation Center (GTC) integrates highway, railway, urban public transit, and air travel. It is flanked by the P11 and P12 parking garages, offering approximately 2,800 parking spaces (with 1,800 available during the initial opening phase), enabling seamless "fly-and-ride" transfers.

Significantly, the smart construction of Terminal 3 has set two industry firsts. It is the first large-scale hub airport terminal in China to fully apply Building Information Modeling (BIM) for smart construction, pioneering comprehensive management covering all personnel, all areas, all disciplines, and the entire lifecycle. This establishes it as a demonstration project for digital design in civil aviation and a new industry standard. Furthermore, T3 is China's first terminal to achieve paperless archives. All building information is stored in electronic data packages combining "spatial data + facility/equipment information," providing precise data support for future operations, management, and maintenance. On September 24, 2025, at the buildingSMART International openBIM Awards, the "Smart Construction Practice Based on openBIM for Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport's Phase III Expansion Project T3 Terminal" won the final grand prize (Winner, only one per category) in the Global Construction category.

Five Runways, Three Terminals: Strengthening the Comprehensive Gateway Function

From its original "two runways and one terminal" to the current "five runways and three terminals," Baiyun Airport's expansion provides the foundation for a quantum leap in its hub capacity. This enhanced infrastructure attracts airlines to increase frequencies on popular routes and launch new international and domestic services. This helps Guangzhou strengthen its function as a comprehensive gateway that is "nationally connected, intercontinentally linked, and globally reaching," contributing to the formation of a 12-hour global air travel circle.

Since the beginning of this year, Baiyun Airport has collaborated with airlines to launch, resume, or increase frequencies on over 30 international passenger routes, including the resumption of IndiGo's Kolkata-Guangzhou service on October 27 and the successful launch of Air Algerie's Algiers-Guangzhou route on October 28. As a nationally designated comprehensive gateway and multi-modal international aviation hub, Baiyun Airport continuously enhances its function as a core node of the "Air Silk Road," expanding the breadth and depth of its route network. It has welcomed five new international carriers - Air Astana, VietJet Airlines (Vietnam), Uzbekistan Airways, Nepal Airlines, and Air Algerie - further expanding its global network of partners. In the new aviation season, scheduled passenger flights at Baiyun Airport have reached 10,728 movements per week, offering travelers a wider array of choices.

Moving forward, Baiyun Airport will use the commissioning of Terminal 3 as a new starting point to deepen synergistic development and complementary positioning among airports in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, jointly building a world-class airport cluster. Concurrently, with smarter facilities, more human-centric services, and more efficient operations, the airport will strive to become a benchmark for high-quality development in China's civil aviation industry, playing its part in Guangdong's efforts to lead the nation's modernization drive.

Source: Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport

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