← Home / Airports / China

Data source: OurAirports (2026-09-01 Snapshot) · Methodology & Verification →

Chengdu Tianfu International Airport

Chengdu (Jianyang), Sichuan Province (China)

IATA: TFU ICAO: ZUTF

Longest Active Runway

13,123 ft

4,000 meters

Field Elevation

1,440 ft

439 m MSL

Runway Inventory

3 active

Lighted / Paved

Coordinates & Class

30.3125°, 104.4413°

LARGE AIRPORT

🏆

Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

Ranking Universes Guide →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

#67 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#114 of 7558

Top 1.8% percentile worldwide

National Standing (China)

#7 in CN

#15 of 264 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

+31.2%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 Statistical Statement: Chengdu Tianfu International Airport's longest active runway measures 13,123 ft (4,000 m). Within RunwayFacts' published index of 650 aerodromes, it ranks #67. Across the broader global dataset of 7558 commercial facilities, it ranks #114 worldwide (Top 1.8%) and #7 nationally in China.

🛫

Editorial Aerodrome Deep Dive: Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU)

Curated Aerodrome Profile

Chengdu Tianfu International Airport represents the cutting edge of 21st-century Chinese aviation architecture. Designed in the shape of mythical Sun Birds, TFU features a high-capacity layout combining two parallel north-south runways with an angled crosswind strip. Both primary runways easily handle heavy widebodies departing on non-stop flights to Europe and North America across the Tibetan plateau.

Runway Layout & Magnetic Alignments

Three active runways: parallel pair 01/19 (13,123 ft / 4,000 m) and 02/20 (10,499 ft / 3,200 m), plus crosswind Runway 11/29 (12,467 ft / 3,800 m).

Expansion Milestones & Predecessor Facilities

Opened in June 2021 as Chengdu's state-of-the-art greenfield mega-airport, making Chengdu the third city in mainland China (after Beijing and Shanghai) to operate two international hubs.

Regional Differentiation & Cluster Role

Handles international and major trunk traffic, while historic Chengdu Shuangliu (CTU, 28 NM northwest) concentrates primarily on domestic business routes.

Data Nuances & Operational Quirks

Positioned at 1,440 ft elevation in the Sichuan Basin; winter and spring months experience prolonged morning radiation haze and fog requiring CAT IIIb avionics.

📚 Official Aerodrome Sourcing: Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) · Aeronautical Information Service China (NAIP)

Verification Methodology →

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Comparative aviation metrics evaluated against regional and global physical operational criteria.

ICAO Code 4E / 4F Super-Heavy

⛰️

Elevation & Atmospheric Density

Lowland / Coastal Basin Aerodrome

Chengdu Tianfu International Airport operates at a surveyed field elevation of 1,440 ft (439 m MSL) in Chengdu (Jianyang). Situated in low-lying coastal terrain, the aerodrome benefits from dense ambient atmospheric pressure, maximizing turbine engine thrust and wing lift efficiency across all departure vectors.

🧭

Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

1 Qualifying Aerodrome in Vicinity

Handles international and major trunk traffic, while historic Chengdu Shuangliu (CTU, 28 NM northwest) concentrates primarily on domestic business routes. Within a 100 NM radius, the facility coordinates airspace flows with 1 qualifying commercial aerodromes, with Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) located 29.6 NM away.

✈️

Fleet Compatibility & Ground Roll

Primary Runway: 13,123 ft (4,000 m)

Chengdu Tianfu International Airport's active flight strips comprise 01/19 (13,123 ft), 11/29 (12,467 ft), 02/20 (10,499 ft). With a longest active threshold of 13,123 ft (4,000 m), the aerodrome satisfies unrestricted long-haul takeoff and landing distance requirements for heavy twin-aisle and four-engine widebodies (ICAO Code 4E/4F).

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
01/19	13,123 ft (4000m)	197 ft (60m)	`Concrete (CON)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
11/29	12,467 ft (3800m)	148 ft (45m)	`Concrete (CON)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
02/20	10,499 ft (3200m)	148 ft (45m)	`Concrete (CON)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active

🧭 Comparative Aerodromes (100 NM Radius, ≥5,000 ft Paved)

Great-circle Haversine spatial proximity matching for commercial facilities with paved runway capacity within 100 NM.

Aerodrome Name	IATA	Distance	Longest Runway	Lighting
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (Chengdu (Shuangliu))	`CTU`	29.6 NM (54.8 km)	11,811 ft	✅ Lighted

🛡️ Data Provenance & Verification Metadata

Source Dataset: OurAirports Open Aviation Database

Snapshot Version: 2026-09-01

Dataset Integrity: Cryptographic SHA-256 Checksum Verified & Fail-Closed Schema Inspected

Source Verification: Source-reported registry data

Read Complete Methodology & Verification Protocol → GET /api/airport/tfu.json ↗