Xinyang Minggang Airport (IATA: XAI, ICAO: ZHXY), or Minggang Air Base, is a dual-use civil and military airport serving the city of Xinyang in Henan Province, China. It is in the town of Minggang in Pingqiao District, about 45 kilometres (28 mi) from downtown Xinyang and 48 kilometres (30 mi) from the city of Zhumadian.[1]
Xinyang Minggang Airport | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Military/Public | ||||||||||
Serves | Xinyang, Henan, China | ||||||||||
Location | Minggang, Pingqiao District, Xinyang | ||||||||||
Opened | 1931 (military) 28 October 2018 (public) | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 32°32′29″N 114°04′40″E | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
![]() ![]() XAI Location of the airport | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Statistics (2021) | |||||||||||
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Source: List of the busiest airports in the People's Republic of China |
Xinyang Minggang Airport | |||||||
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Simplified Chinese | 信阳明港机场 | ||||||
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The military air base formerly known as Zhumadian Airbase was built in the 1930s and served important national defense operations following the Manchurian Incident; Zhumadian was critical in supporting the Nationalist Chinese Air Force operations in the northern-front during the War of Resistance-World War II,[2] and was where the 4th Fighter-Attack Group of the Chinese Air Force launched their close-air support missions for Chinese ground forces fighting the Imperial Japanese Army at the Battle of Taierzhuang.[3] The airbase was completely modernized in 1958, and in September 2011, the State Council and the Central Military Commission approved the proposal to convert the base to a dual-use airport. Construction began in November 2015, and a test flight was completed on 23 May 2018.[4] The airport was officially opened on 28 October 2018 for commercial passenger operations, with an inaugural China Eastern Airlines MU9921 flight from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport.[5] The construction budget was 360 million yuan.[5]
Xinyang Minggang Airport has a runway that is 2,700 meters long and 50 meters wide (class 4C), and a 5,000 square-meter terminal building. It is projected to handle 300,000 passengers and 2,500 tons of cargo per year by 2020.[1][6]
对于长途奔袭的机群,油料是最大的问题。四大队从汉口起飞,要到河南驻马店和归德机场加油挂弹,再飞向台儿庄、枣庄和峄县一带,攻击敌军阵地。因油料关系,每次仅能在战地上空停留15分钟,即须返航。。。喝了水、吃了饭,张光明正在休息,听村里人说,附近摔落中、日各一架飞机,中国飞行员受了伤,还活著。他顾不得极度的疲惫,赶忙叫村人带路前去探视,原来伤者正是在空战中与日机尾部相撞坠机的飞行员陈怀民。张光明脱下衬衫为陈怀民中弹的伤腿包扎止血,叫乡长派了一辆牛车,他一路上抱著伤痛难忍的陈怀民,经过一夜的颠簸,天亮才赶到归德航空站医院。
1938年3、4月間,駐漢口的空軍第四大隊和駐孝感的空軍第三大隊,曾多次對當時的臺兒莊中日大會戰進行長距離突襲,支援地面部隊作戰。對於長途奔襲的機群,油料是最大的問題。四大隊從漢口起飛,要到河南駐馬店和歸德機場加油挂彈,再飛向臺兒莊、棗莊和嶧縣一帶,攻擊敵軍陣地。因油料關係,每次僅能在戰地上空停留15分鐘,即須返航。