Economically powerful city Suzhou in S China’s Jiangsu to build first airport

(ECNS) -- Suzhou, an economically powerful city in south China’s Jiangsu Province, is set to build its first airport, according to a transportation conference held on Wednesday.

The construction site is located in Changshu, a county-level city in Suzhou, covering an area of about 75.8 hectares.

The airport is designated as an A1-level general airport and will feature a 1,600-meter-long and  45-meter-wide runway, along with supporting facilities such as terminal buildings, control towers, hangars, garages, and refueling facilities.

The airport will serve multiple functions, including aviation consumption, flight training, public services, transportation, and emergency rescue. In addition, it will also establish a drone test flight field, training base, and dispatching center to promote the city’s low-altitude economy.

The airport is expected to be operational by the end of 2026.

Currently, nine civil aviation airports are distributed across Jiangsu, including the neighboring cities of Suzhou such as Wuxi, Changzhou, and Nantong.

Suzhou, with a permanent population exceeding 10 million and a GDP of over 2 trillion yuan (about $273.60 billion), has long been without its own airport.

Official statistics showed that the GDP of the city reached about 2.67 trillion yuan in 2024, a year-on-year increase of six percent. It is renowned as “the most powerful prefecture-level city in China.”