Huizhou Airport is entering a new phase of growth. China's Civil Aviation Administration, National Development and Reform Commission, and Ministry of Transport have jointly issued the "15th Five-Year Plan for Civil Aviation Development," continuing to propel high-quality progress in the sector. The Phase II expansion of Huizhou Airport has been included in this national plan, marking a significant milestone in the history of Huizhou's aviation industry. According to the plan, the airport's expansion will construct a new second runway south of the existing one, aiming to achieve service levels comparable to a major hub airport handling tens of millions of passengers.

As a key component of Guangdong's "15th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation system, the project carries the dual mission of deepening integration with Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area, while also enhancing the layout of the world-class airport cluster and serving the development of the Shenzhen metropolitan area. Why was Huizhou chosen? What transformative impact can a single airport have on a city, a metropolitan area, and even the entire Greater Bay Area?

How Can a Regional Airport Aim for a Major Hub?

The Phase II expansion of Huizhou Airport is a critical project for the city's deep integration into the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou axis and the physical connectivity of the Greater Bay Area's infrastructure. Located in Pingtan Town, Huiyang District, Huizhou Airport is currently a dual-use military and civil facility. In recent years, its growth has far exceeded expectations, with both passenger and cargo throughput consistently rising. Public data shows passenger traffic surged from under 400,000 in 2015 to 3.36 million in 2025, a nearly tenfold increase, reflecting sustained demand for air travel and a strengthening of its regional hub function. Amid the industrial agglomeration and manufacturing upgrade in the Greater Bay Area, Huizhou Airport's role is also evolving. Leveraging the region's manufacturing base and e-commerce growth, the airport has steadily expanded its air cargo services, providing efficient logistics for electronics, advanced manufacturing, and other industries. Based on the Summer/Fall 2026 flight schedule, Huizhou Airport connects to 37 domestic destinations, covering 84% of provincial capitals and all cities with populations over 10 million within a range of 800 kilometers. Future plans include further densifying the route network to key domestic cities, solidifying its position as a regional hub within the Greater Bay Area's world-class airport cluster. The airport's catchment area is also expanding. Currently, its 1.5-hour service radius covers Huizhou, Shanwei, Heyuan, eastern Shenzhen, and eastern Dongguan, encompassing over 20 million residents. Upon completion, the Phase II project will better drive regional passenger growth, effectively absorb spillover demand from Shenzhen Airport, and address the gap in eastern Greater Bay Area aviation hubs. As one of the four regional hubs in Guangdong's "3+4+8" airport layout, Huizhou Airport is a vital part of the Greater Bay Area's world-class airport system. This expansion marks a transition from a "million-level" to a "ten-million-level" airport, positioning it as a key aviation node supporting the Shenzhen metropolitan area, radiating to eastern Guangdong, and connecting to the rest of China.

Accelerating Collaboration Between Shenzhen and Huizhou Behind the 'Shenzhen Second Airport' Concept

In recent years, the term "Shenzhen's Second Airport" has become increasingly common in public discourse. This does not imply building a new airport in Shenzhen but rather, through regional coordination, allowing Huizhou Airport to handle some air transport functions, making it a key part of the Shenzhen metropolitan area's aviation system. This designation is not new. Guangdong's "13th Five-Year Plan for Comprehensive Transportation System Development" already stated that Huizhou Airport would primarily serve Huizhou, Shanwei, Heyuan, and eastern Shenzhen, functioning as Shenzhen's second airport. Now, with its inclusion in the national plan, this positioning is gaining momentum. This reflects the growing tension between Shenzhen's surging air transport demand and constraints on land and airspace. As one of China's busiest airports, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport has seen soaring passenger and cargo volumes, international route recovery, and rapid air logistics growth, placing higher demands on infrastructure. While runways and terminals can be expanded, airspace is the real bottleneck. For coastal cities, airports face limitations from urban space, dense surrounding airports, and complex air routes. The Greater Bay Area's airport cluster, including Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, and Zhuhai, makes the Pearl River Estuary airspace one of the busiest in China. Thus, Shenzhen has been seeking additional aviation capacity. Instead of finding new land for a major airport, focusing on the nearby and expandable Huizhou Airport is a logical choice. Simultaneously, travel time between Shenzhen and Huizhou is shrinking. Major infrastructure projects like the Shenzhen-Huizhou intercity railway and expressway networks are advancing. The Huizhou Airport Expressway project is included in Guangdong's expressway network plan. Once operational, the distance from eastern Shenzhen to Huizhou Airport via Huiping Expressway and Airport Expressway will be reduced to 50 kilometers, enabling a one-hour trip. Similarly, Shanwei and Heyuan will also be just one hour away, improving accessibility for eastern Shenzhen, eastern Guangdong, and northern Guangdong residents. These transportation improvements are enhancing Huizhou Airport's locational advantages, transitioning the "Shenzhen Second Airport" concept from a planning designation to a practical reality. As industrial ties grow closer, Huizhou Airport is opening new development space for the integration of Shenzhen and Huizhou and the broader Shenzhen metropolitan area.

How Industrial Upgrading Supports an Aviation Hub's Rise

Huizhou is entering a new window of opportunity. While improved transportation provides the foundation for Huizhou Airport to absorb Shenzhen's aviation demand, the real driver behind its climb to a ten-million-level hub is the practical needs of industrial development. In recent years, Huizhou's industrial capabilities have been rapidly upgrading, establishing it as a key advanced manufacturing base in the Greater Bay Area. In the first half of 2026, Huizhou's GDP reached 302.12 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.0% at constant prices. The 2026 Fortune China 500 list featured four Huizhou companies: TCL Technology, TCL Industries, EVE Energy, and Desay SV, highlighting the city's growing industrial strength. Concurrently, the Daya Bay Petrochemical Industrial Base is accelerating its upgrade, the Zhongkai High-tech Zone's electronics information industry is expanding, ExxonMobil's Huizhou ethylene project has commenced production, and advanced manufacturing sectors like new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, new energy storage, high-end electronics, and biomedicine are rapidly agglomerating. This is forming a modern industrial chain with global competitiveness. These industries share common traits: high internationalization, fast supply chain responses, and growing dependence on air transport. For electronics and high-end equipment manufacturing, components like chips, PCBs, and R&D samples often require "same-day delivery" and "global reach" more than standard goods. Frequent business travel, rapid supply chain responses, and efficient cross-border logistics all rely on a convenient air transport system. In a sense, air transport efficiency has become a key component of manufacturing competitiveness. The airport expansion provides crucial support for Huizhou's manufacturing sector to accelerate its integration into global supply chains. Looking at the broader Greater Bay Area, Huizhou Airport's importance is also evident from another perspective. The development strategy for the region's airport cluster is evolving. Previously, focus was on the three major international hubs: Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Bao'an, and Hong Kong Airport, which form the core of the world-class cluster. Meanwhile, the new Guangzhou Airport project in Gaoming, Foshan, will serve as a key growth engine for the western region. Moving forward, the Greater Bay Area's airports need more rational function allocation and resource distribution. Against this backdrop, Huizhou Airport's role is becoming clearer: it is both a vital aviation fulcrum for the Shenzhen metropolitan area and a crucial supplement to eastern Greater Bay Area aviation services. A new runway connects cities, supports industries, and reshapes the regional landscape. As Huizhou Airport ascends to the ten-million-level mark, eastern Greater Bay Area is poised for a new development trajectory.