Hohhot Baita International Airport
Hohhot Baita International Airport is an international airport serving Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia, China. It is the largest airport in Inner Mongolia and lies east of downtown Hohhot. Its name Baita, meaning White Pagoda, derives from Wanbu Huayanjing Pagoda; one of the historical attractions in Hohhot which lies south-east of the airport. In 2013 it served 6,150,282 passengers.
History
Hohhot Baita Airport was opened on 1 October 1958. In the mid-1980s and 1990s, it underwent two expansions and in June 2007 a new terminal was constructed. The new terminal covers an area of with 11 parking jetways and is capable of handling three million passengers each year. Its runway was also lengthened and its widened to accommodate jumbo jets such as the Airbus A380. It served as one of the diversion airports for air traffic during the 2008 Summer Olympics.With the rapid expansion of the city, Baita Airport is now surrounded by urban area and has no more room to expand to accommodate growing traffic. The Hohhot Shengle International Airport is being constructed in Horinger County which will replace Baita Airport and Baita is set to be closed once the new airport opened.