Lanzhou City Airport

The airport was closed primarily because it became obsolete and was enveloped by urban expansion. Its location within the city (Chengguan District) created significant safety concerns and noise pollution for the growing population. Furthermore, its relatively short runway and the challenging mountainous terrain surrounding Lanzhou made it unsuitable for the larger, heavier, and faster jet aircraft that were becoming the standard for civil aviation in the late 1960s. A new, much larger airport (Lanzhou Zhongchuan) was built in a more remote and geographically suitable location to handle modern air traffic.

The former airport site has been completely and irreversibly redeveloped. There are no visible remnants of the airport infrastructure like the runway, taxiways, or terminal buildings. The land is now a densely populated and developed urban area in the eastern part of Lanzhou's Chengguan District. It is occupied by major public institutions, including the Gansu Provincial Library and the Gansu Museum of Geology, as well as numerous high-rise residential towers, commercial centers, hotels, and major roads. The area is still colloquially known to locals as 'Lao Jichang' (老机场), which translates to 'Old Airport'.

Historically known as Lanzhou Donggang Airport (兰州东岗机场), it was built in 1932 and served as the main airport for Lanzhou and the entire Gansu province for nearly four decades. It was a dual-use civil and military airfield. The airport held significant strategic importance during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), where it functioned as a key airbase for the Chinese Air Force and a waypoint for Soviet aid and supplies. After 1949, it became the hub for the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in the region, handling all passenger and cargo flights and connecting the provincial capital to the rest of the country with propeller aircraft and early generation jets.

There are zero prospects for reopening this airport. The site has been fully integrated into the urban fabric of Lanzhou. The city is now served by Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport (IATA: LHW, ICAO: ZLLL), which is located approximately 70 km north of the city center and has been extensively modernized and expanded to accommodate long-term growth in air traffic.