Wikipedia

Quzhou Airport

Quzhou Airport, also called Quzhou Air Base (IATA: JUZ, ICAO: ZSJU) is a dual-use military and civil airport located 2.9 kilometers east of the city of Quzhou in Zhejiang Province, China. Originally only a military airfield for the People's Liberation Army Air Force, the airport was first expanded for use by American bombers during World War II, and was later occupied by Japanese troops. A small passenger terminal opened to commercial flights on 26 November 1993, though expanded commercial use of the airport has been hampered by continued heavy military presence due to the airport's proximity to the East China Sea and Taiwan Strait.[3] Airlines operating out of Quzhou Airport generally operate medium to large narrow-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 737. Quzhou's commercial passenger terminal is unique in being separated from the airport's two aircraft bays by a lake, requiring passengers to walk across a lengthy causeway before boarding. The airport serves as the base of operations for regional carrier Quzhou Airlines.

Quzhou Airport
衢州机场
Quzhou's civilian terminal from the causeway, with the air traffic control tower to the far left
Summary
Airport typeMilitary/Public
OwnerPLA Air Force
ServesQuzhou, Zhejiang, China
Opened26 November 1993; 32 years ago (1993-11-26)
Builtc.1933
In usec.1933–present
Occupants85th Fighter Brigade
Time zone(UTC+08:00)
Elevation AMSL65 m / 213 ft
Coordinates28°57′57″N 118°53′58″E / 28.96583°N 118.89944°E / 28.96583; 118.89944
Websitemhj.qz.gov.cn
Map
JUZ is located in Zhejiang
JUZ
JUZ
Location of airport in Zhejiang
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
06/24 2,500 8,202 Concrete
Statistics (2025)
Passengers1,111,124 Increase 7.3%
Aircraft movements10,853 Decrease 4.5%
Cargo (metric tons)725.3 Decrease 11.8%
Source:CAAC[1][2]
Quzhou Airport
Simplified Chinese衢州机场
Traditional Chinese衢州機場
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinQúzhōu Jīchǎng

History

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World War II

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Originally known as Hangzhou Air Base, in 1937 the facility was renamed Quzhou Air Base. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in the winter of 1941, the airport began a major expansion for future use by United States Army Air Forces. The airport's strategic location played a key role in World War II, with American aircraft frequenting the base for replenishment. In April 1942 the base was to serve as the refueling point for the Doolittle Raiders following the strike on Tokyo, however because of incliment weather, all of them ran out of fuel prior to reaching the base, instead crash landing around the city of Quzhou. Chinese support from Quzhou drove the Japanese to launch the battle of Zhejiang and Jiangxi to suppress the airbase, with Japanese troops taking control of the base on June 3, 1942.[4][5]

First Taiwan Strait Crisis

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In the early hours of June 23, 1956, Lu Min, then-commander of the 34th Regiment, 12th Air Division of the PLAAF, took off from Quzhou Airport with a MiG-17 fighter jet and shot down a Republic of China Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress over the Guangfeng and Shangrao areas of Jiangxi province, marking the first time PLAAF air defenses managed to shoot down an enemy at night.

On April 27, 1998, during a night flight training exercise of J-7D fighter jets by the 29th Air Division at Quzhou Airport in Zhejiang Province, two aircraft collided and crashed. The pilot of the lead aircraft (25106) successfully ejected, while the pilot of the wingman (25007) was killed.[6]

Civil Aviation

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On May 10, 1992, Quzhou Civil Aviation Station was established. On November 30, 1992, construction of Quzhou Civil Aviation Station began. On November 26, 1993, Quzhou Civil Aviation Station officially opened to traffic.[7]

From March 2002 to March 2003, the airport suspended operations for an expansion project of its flight area. Pavement was reinforced by adding a 21cm thick overlay to the old pavement, the structural strength (PCN value) of the runway was improved, enhancing the pavement's load-bearing capacity and fatigue resistance. The airport's flight area standard remained at 4C. The runway was extended from its original 2,200 metres to the current 2,600 metres.[8]

Military use

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Located 500 km from Taiwan just at the edge of effective cruise missile and airstrike range, Quzhou is one of the largest and most important air bases of the PLAAF. The airport is fitted with a hardened underground hangar to protect aircraft from adversaries.

The facility is home to the 29th Fighter Division, which flies the Sukhoi Su-30MKK, and the 85th Fighter Brigade, equipped with the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter.[9]

Civilian use

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The airport has a 1,900-meter (8,200 ft) runway (class 4C) and a 3,440-square-meter terminal building.[2][3] The airport can accommodate Boeing 737 and other medium to large narrow-body passenger aircraft. The passenger terminal building is 3,440 square meters, which can support 200 passengers during peak hours.

Airlines and destinations

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AirlinesDestinations
Air China Beijing–Capital,[10] Beijing–Daxing, Chengdu–Tianfu[11]
China Express Airlines Aksu,[11] Chongqing, Dalian,[12] Dongying,[13] Guiyang, Haikou, Jiayuguan,[13] Jining,[14] Kunming,[10] Lanzhou,[13] Nanning,[15] Qingdao,[13] Xi'an, Zhengzhou, Zhoushan
China Southern Airlines Guangzhou[11]
Shandong Airlines Haikou[16]
XiamenAir Shenzhen[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "2025年民航机场吞吐量排名" (in Chinese). Civil Aviation Administration of China. 2026-02-26. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  2. 1 2 "Airport information for Quzhou Airport" – via Great Circle Mapper.
  3. 1 2 衢州民航站 Archived 2012-05-02 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ "慑台新动作：歼-20进驻衢州机场，专家：去哪不重要，能力摆在那" [New action to deter Taiwan: J-20 stationed at Quzhou Airport, experts: It doesn’t matter where you go, the ability lies there]. Defense Times Vanguard (in Chinese). September 27, 2020. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
  5. ↑ Jingtao, Yang (November 9, 2017). "营救美国大兵—记75年前浙江村民与美国飞行员那段往事-时政新闻-浙江在线" [Rescue American soldiers—Remember the past between Zhejiang villagers and American pilots 75 years ago]. Xinhua (in Chinese). Retrieved 2022-12-15.
  6. ↑ "30年解放军战机失事记录：苏-27UBK有坠毁记录". mil.news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2026-04-04.
  7. ↑ "浙江省衢州机场管理有限公司". 2018-11-12.
  8. ↑ "衢州机场民航设施（停机坪、航站楼、空管）改扩建工程环境影响报告书（报批版）" (PDF). 2023.
  9. ↑ "中国最"牛"的一座三线城市，市区拥有军民合用机场" [One of the most "beautiful" third-tier cities in China, the urban area has a military-civilian airport]. Toutiao (in Chinese). March 31, 2018. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
  10. 1 2 "衢州机场2023年冬航季航班计划！新增临汾、西双版纳！". Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "新航季！衢州机场换季后有哪些变化，快来看看~". Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  12. ↑ "‌扬州泰州国际机场春秋航空执飞扬州泰州至日本大阪国际航线盛大开航". Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "‌华夏航空2025冬春换季，冬韵启航！". Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  14. ↑ "10月27日起执行！衢州机场2024冬航季航班时刻表出炉". Retrieved 20 January 2025.
  15. ↑ "‌3月30日起，衢州机场执行2025年夏航季航班计划！". Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  16. ↑ "‌济南机场夏秋航季焕新起航 引领出行新体验". Retrieved 13 July 2025.
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