On June 27th, with the three base airlines of Air China, China Eastern Airlines and Sichuan Airlines dispatching 6 aircrafts for the first flight, respectively, to the three major aviation hubs of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The second airport in Chengdu is also known as Chengdu Tianfu International Airport. Officially opened to navigation.

This means that Chengdu has become the third city (the other two are Beijing and Shanghai) with "one city and two markets", and the second city in the country with double 4F airports (the other is Beijing, Shanghai and Pudong). The airport is 4F, but Hongqiao Airport is 4E).

　　 With the delivery of the second airport in Chengdu, Chengdu finally got its wish as the third city of aviation.

　　 Two years ago, when I went to Chengdu on a business trip, I visited the construction site of Chengdu Tianfu International Airport. At that time, it was just a rudimentary form. After only two years of work, an international airport appeared in front of the world.

　　 From the start of construction on May 7, 2016 to the opening of air services on June 27, 2021, a 4F level airport with two terminals and three runways was built in just five years, creating the speed of Chengdu.

Overwhelming Guangzhou and Shenzhen, promoted to aviation "third city"! Why is Chengdu?

The scene of Tianfu Airport when I visited in August 2019

Overwhelming Guangzhou and Shenzhen, promoted to aviation "third city"! Why is Chengdu?

Tianfu International Airport, which opened on June 27

　　According to the plan, it can meet the annual passenger throughput of 60 million passengers and the cargo and mail throughput of 1.3 million tons.

　　In the long-term plan, the airport will build six runways in four verticals and two horizontals, and a 1.4 million square meter terminal building to meet the annual passenger throughput of 120 million passengers and cargo and mail throughput of 2.8 million tons.

　　 It is understood that the two airports in Chengdu have their own division of labor and complement each other.

Tianfu International Airport focuses on building an international passenger and cargo aviation hub. Shuangliu International Airport mainly operates domestic commercial and regional routes. The two airports can be alternate airports for each other, gradually forming a dual-hub airport system with dislocation development, complementary functions, and coordinated linkage. 1+1>2" advantage.

According to Chengdu’s plan, by 2025, the passenger throughput of the two international airports in Chengdu will reach more than 100 million passengers and the cargo and mail throughput will reach 1.9 million tons; by 2035, the annual passenger throughput will reach 160 million passengers and cargo and mail throughput. The volume reached 3.5 million tons.

　　 A world-class aviation hub, the prototype has emerged.

　　02

　　The key question is here, why can Chengdu become the third "one city, two games" and the second city with a double 4F airport in China? Why not Guangzhou and Shenzhen?

　　 Guangzhou and Shenzhen are also planning second airports, but they have not been able to do so. The main reason is that Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau already have an aviation cluster composed of Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok International Airport, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport. There is no such need.

　　 The fact that Chengdu can be obtained has a lot to do with the Southwest region as a national strategic reserve.

Those familiar with the Anti-Japanese War should be aware that after the outbreak of the All-out Anti-Japanese War on July 7, 1937, Japan invaded and occupied a large area of China’s land. Most of the schools and factories were forced to move to the southwest region. The counterattack saved the power.

　　 Since the outbreak of Sino-US trade friction, Sino-US relations have reached a freezing point since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Although Trump has stepped down and Bi is on stage, no matter who is the president of the United States, the relationship between China and the United States will never return to the original state. It is inevitable that the two countries will drift apart.

　　 Under this background, the United States and its allies will inevitably once again form a multi-island chain. The necessity of making the Southwest region stronger and bigger is very important.

　　 Therefore, we can see that over the years, the management has spared no effort to strengthen and expand the Southwest region.

　　 For example, after Chongqing became a national central city, Chengdu was also upgraded to a national central city. For example, the original Chengdu-Chongqing urban circle was upgraded to a dual-city economic circle in the Chengdu-Chongqing region. For example, positioning Chengdu-Chongqing as an international comprehensive transportation hub with the same status as Beijing-Tianjin, Shanghai, and Guangzhou-Shenzhen.

　　 In addition, the new land-sea channel was adjusted in 2019. Of the three channels, two start from Chongqing and one starts from Chengdu. Starting from Chongqing and Chengdu to connect western cities with the sea, the intention is self-evident.

　　 This is to make Beibu Gulf the outlet of the southwest region.

Overwhelming Guangzhou and Shenzhen, promoted to aviation "third city"! Why is Chengdu?

　　 For another example, in the recently released "Chengdu-Chongqing Double-city Economic Circle Comprehensive Transportation Development Plan", Chongqing Second Airport was clearly included in the plan. This means that the two core cities in Southwest China will have dual airports in the future.

Overwhelming Guangzhou and Shenzhen, promoted to aviation "third city"! Why is Chengdu?

　　The purpose of continuously giving benefits to Chengdu and Chongqing is clear. It is to use Chengdu and Chongqing as the engine to drive the rise of the Southwest region, make the Southwest region prosperous, become the fourth pole of China's economy, and become the strategic backup of China's rear.

　　 The development plan for the Chengdu-Chongqing area twin-city economic circle was approved at the end of last year and will be released soon. From the perspective of strategic backup, this plan may be another big gift package, and perhaps the Chengdu-Chongqing dual-city economic circle will be as high as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao and become a national strategy.

　　 This is just a conjecture of this number. It remains to be seen whether it can come true.

　　03

　　 In 2019, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport ranked fourth in the mainland in terms of passenger throughput.

　　 In 2020, due to the impact of the epidemic, the throughput of Shanghai and Beijing has dropped significantly. Chengdu took the opportunity to jump to second place, second only to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport also jumped from 9th in 2019 to 4th.

Overwhelming Guangzhou and Shenzhen, promoted to aviation "third city"! Why is Chengdu?

　　 Judging from the 2020 data, two of the top five airports are in the southwest. In other words, the southwest region has become an aviation hub that rivals North China, East China, and South China.

　　 Looking around the world, dual airports are generally regarded as the standard configuration of world-class cities.

Except for very small cities, most global cities have more than two airports, such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston in the United States; Tokyo and Osaka in Japan; Paris, France; Seoul, South Korea; London, England; Berlin, Germany, etc. .

　　 Chengdu is one step ahead of Chongqing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, and has obtained dual airports, which will inevitably enhance Chengdu’s international gateway city attributes, help Chengdu’s aviation economy development, and continue to enhance Chengdu’s comprehensive competitiveness.

　　In the era of the gradual transition from sea power to land power, or the era of rejuvenation of land power, the airport and high-speed rail are the two important engines of urban development.

　　 Today, Tianfu International Airport has been delivered, and the southwest region has become even more powerful, especially for Chengdu’s aviation and economic status. In other words, with the double airport assists, Chengdu's economic ranking may still have room to climb.

　　 In the past ten years, Chengdu’s economic ranking has climbed from 13th in the Mainland to 7th today.

Overwhelming Guangzhou and Shenzhen, promoted to aviation "third city"! Why is Chengdu?

Cartography: Urban Finance

       In the next ten or twenty years, Chengdu may be expected to surpass Suzhou and Chongqing to become the fifth economic city in China, which is still unknown.

　　 But at this time, Chengdu should have set up this Flag.