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

Chengdu Tianfu International Airport

Compiled by Bill Gao

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

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Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

How ranks work →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

tied #56 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#114 of 7558

Top 1.8% percentile worldwide

For airports with equal runway length, the worldwide order does not indicate a length difference.

National Standing (China)

tied #4 of 55 in CN

same length as 4 others; nearest KWE, 258 NM · #15 of 264 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

+31.2%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 TFU in numbers: 13,123 ft longest runway · tied #56 of 650 published · #114 of 7,558 worldwide (top 1.8%) · tied #4 in China.

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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

Longest runway ≥10,500 ft

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Elevation & National Context

Lowland Aerodrome (<2,000 ft)

TFU lies at 439 m (1,440 ft), #156 of 650 published airports by elevation and 74.6 percentile among 7,558 worldwide. It is 1,215 ft above the China median (225 ft, 54 airports); RKZ is highest at 12,408 ft, 10,968 ft higher than TFU.

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Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

1 Qualifying Aerodrome in Vicinity

Closest of 1 paved-runway (≥5,000 ft) neighbour within 100 NM: Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU), 29.6 NM, 11,811 ft. TFU has the longest runway in this radius, 1,312 ft over CTU.

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Runway Inventory & National Standing

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

TFU runways: 01/19 13,123 × 197 ft concrete (con); 11/29 12,467 × 148 ft concrete (con); 02/20 10,499 × 148 ft concrete (con). National standing: tied #4 of 55 in China with LXA/LHW/KWE/PVG at 13,123 ft; RKZ leads by 3,281 ft (16,404 ft). +31.2% vs the 10,000 ft baseline.

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
01/19	13,123 ft (4000 m / 4.000 km)	197 ft (60m)	`Concrete (CON)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
11/29	12,467 ft (3800 m / 3.800 km)	148 ft (45m)	`Concrete (CON)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
02/20	10,499 ft (3200 m / 3.200 km)	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

🛡️ Source: OurAirports Open Aviation Database, snapshot 2026-09-01 · Provenance →