Nanyuan Airport Saw Its Last Operation September 25

The oldest airport in China has closed after 109 years of operation. Nanyuan Airport saw its last operation September 25, the same day that Beijing's new Daxing Airport was officially opened by President Xi Jinping.

CNN reports that the final flight at Nanyuan departed just after 10 p.m. local time. It was a China United Airlines, according to state run media. Local authorities placed notices on the few cars left in the parking lot saying "Hello! This airport has officially moved to Daxing International Airport on September 25 ... I want to thank you again for putting your trust in Nanyuan Airport."

The new airport was constructed at an estimated cost of about $11.5 billion.

Nanyuan airport opened in 1910, when China was still ruled by the Qing Dynasty. State media indicates that it will become an aviation museum. The airport was the site of several significant events in Chinese history. The first squadron of the Communist air force departed Nanyuan to fly over Tiananmen in 1949. The airport welcomed then U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger when he flew to China in secret to arrange the historic visit by President Richard Nixon.

In the days before its closure, Chinese citizens visited the airport to take pictures and pay tribute to its role in Chinese history.

(Image provided by Chinese state media)

FMI: Source report