Yinchuan Xihuayuan Airport was the former main airport of

Yinchuan Yinchuan (, ; ) is the capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, and was the capital of the Tangut-led Western Xia dynasty. It has an area of and a total population of 2,859,074 according to the 2020 Chinese census, and its buil ...

Ningxia Ningxia (,; , ; alternately romanized as Ninghsia), officially the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR), is an autonomous region in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. Formerly a province, Ningxia was incorporated into Gansu in 1 ...

, China. It was built on orders of Ningxia governor

Ma Hongkui Ma Hongkui (, Xiao'erjing: ; March 14, 1892 – January 14, 1970) was a prominent warlord in China during the Republic of China era, ruling the province of Ningxia. His rank was lieutenant general. His courtesy name was Shao-yun (少雲 ...

in 1935 as a military airport with a gravel runway. The airport was closed from September 1949 to September 1958. In 1958, the airport was renovated to welcome the establishment of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, of which Yinchuan became the capital. After the renovation, the Xihuayuan Airport had a gravel runway with a length of 1415 meters and a width of 40 meters. On 20 October 1958, a

CAAC The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC; ) is the Chinese civil aviation authority under the Ministry of Transport. It oversees civil aviation and investigates aviation accidents and incidents. As the aviation authority responsible f ...

Il-14 passenger plane landed at the airport, marking the official resumption of flights at the airport. In September 1986, the airport was expanded and became a 3C-class airport, being able to handle aircraft like the

BAe 146 The British Aerospace 146 (also BAe 146) is a short-haul and regional airliner that was manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2001. Manufacture by Avro Internation ...

under 50 tons. The airport ceased operations in September 1997 due to the facilities being in need of upgrading and lack of expansion room. Its function was taken over by

Yinchuan Hedong Airport Yinchuan Hedong International Airport is the primary airport serving Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. It is located southeast of downtown Yinchuan in the town of Linghe of Lingwu City. A rel ...

. The airport was the only airport in China serving a provincial capital that still had a gravel runway. At night, the runway was lit using lanterns, and during the rainy season the airport would often flood. The airport terminal was preserved as a protected cultural heritage site by the Yinchuan Cultural Relics Department.

Airlines and Destinations

The airport could not handle larger aircraft such as the Boeing 737 or the Airbus A320, so smaller aircraft are commonly used instead. It is usually flooded with stagnant water during rainy seasons and flights usually stopped temporarily due to the reason. It was instead closed after 62 years in service due to poor management and poor basic equipment and poor designs.

Accidents

On July 23, 1993,

China Northwest Airlines Flight 2119 China Northwest Airlines Flight 2119 (WH2119) was a flight from Yinchuan Xihuayuan Airport, Ningxia to Beijing Capital International Airport, People's Republic of China. On July 23, 1993, the aircraft crashed into a lake after it was unable to g ...

crashed into a lake and broke apart while attempting its second takeoff from the airport. At least 59 of the 113 persons aboard the aircraft were killed.

References

{{Reflist Defunct airports in China Yinchuan Airports in Ningxia