Sanya Phoenix International Airport guide

Sanya Phoenix International Airport opened on 1 July 1994 and sits about 15 km northwest of Sanya's city centre on the southern coast of Hainan island. It is a hub for China Southern Airlines and handles domestic flights to major Chinese cities along with international services to Russia, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.

The airport has a single runway, 08/26, which is 3,400 metres long and 60 metres wide and can take aircraft as large as the Boeing 747. In 2025 it handled 22,685,734 passengers and 139,873 aircraft movements, plus about 117,000 tonnes of cargo. Traffic peaks in the winter months, when visitors travel to Hainan's beach resorts.

Terminal 1, opened with the airport in 1994, covers 58,300 square metres and carries domestic traffic. A third-phase expansion begun in 2023 added Terminal 3, a 124,300 square metre building that began operating on 1 February 2026. The airport also has a separate VIP terminal.