WELCOMING T2
Other changes are underway at Guangzhou’s air gateway as well, with the opening of the new Terminal 2. Billed as the largest airport terminal building on the Chinese mainland at nearly 10 million square feet, Baiyun International’s T2 is spacious enough to handle a number of airlines shifting over to the new facility.
Home town airline China Southern has relocated to the newly opened building, with affiliate carriers Chongqing Airlines, Sichuan Airlines and Hebei Airlines also making the transition. The carrier is making a number of enhancements to its operations at the new facility, notably supporting self-service check-in kiosks located at each of the aisles, though passengers can also head to specific aisles for dedicated services.
Transiting at Terminal 2 has also been made easier. Boarding gates for domestic flights are located on the same floor, while passengers transferring onto international services can head to customs and border protection. Neither require going through additional security checks. China Southern currently has 53 international routes into and out of Guangzhou airport.
In addition to China Southern, Xiamen Airlines, Saudia Airlines, Kenya Airways and Garuda Indonesia have also made the transition to T2. Beside these, another dozen carriers are setting up shop in the new terminal at the same time, among them China Airlines, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Japan Airlines and Air France.