Guangzhou Baiyun Airport’s Game-Changing Terminal 3 Expansion To Set A New Benchmark In Aviation, Positioning The Airport As The World’s Largest Single-Terminal Hub And Redefining International Connectivity

Published on July 9, 2025

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, one of the busiest airports in China, is on the brink of unveiling its ambitious Phase III expansion by the end of October. The centerpiece of this expansion, Terminal 3, is set to become a monumental achievement in the world of aviation infrastructure. Upon becoming operational, Terminal 3 will propel Baiyun Airport to the rank of the world’s largest single-terminal airport, establishing it as a key center for global air travel and international connections.

A New Era of Terminal Space

The East and West Concourses joining Terminals 1 and 2 were a landmark for Baiyun Airport. By December 2023, the airport had expanded its total terminal area to a whopping 1.561 million square meters, becoming the largest single-terminal facility in the world. Such a success has solidified Baiyun Airport’s position at the top of world aviation infrastructure.

But that’s not all to this expansion. When Terminal 3 opens, spanning a whopping 683,300 square meters, the airport will expand its lead even more in terminal space. Terminal 3 will further widen even more the airport’s capabilities to continue to respond to China’s continuously growing market for air travel and increasingly throughout the world, cementing Baiyun Airport’s standing as one of world leaders in terminal size.

Increasing Passenger and Cargo Capacity

One of the most thrilling prospects with Phase III completion is the expanded passenger and cargo handling capabilities. When finalized, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport will have “three terminals and five runways” to work with. This enhancement will mean that upon completion of the expansion, the airport will have a capacity to handle a whopping 120 million passengers every year, besides being able to manage 3.8 million tons of cargo. These improvements intend to reflect the future strategic planning of the airport to keep abreast of increasing international air traffic that has continued to rise in recent years.

Tomorrow, Baiyun Airport will continue to increase its operational scale, which will have the potential to reach 140 million passengers and 6 million tons of cargo per year. It will then have more space to serve growing international and domestic travel demand, further consolidating its status as one of Asia’s most-important aviation centers.

A Full-Service Transportation Hub

One of Terminal 3’s most unique features lies in its incorporation within a multi-modal transport network. As a seamless hub, the terminal will integrate all modes of transport to provide a complete travel experience. Air travel, highways, high-speed connectivity, and urban rail will all be incorporated within one network, which will enable passengers to easily switch between diverse modes of transport with a bare minimum of hassle.

Inclusion of all of these systems of transport will provide increased convenience and connectivity to travellers, not only within Guangzhou but also to other regions within China and beyond, throughout the world. Terminal 3 construction, which will also remain part of this entire transport complex, signifies movement towards Guangzhou’s modernization of its transport systems, firmly setting the city in place to continue being a key centre of international travel and trade.

China’s First Open-Air Observation Deck

One of Terminal 3’s most distinctive offerings is China’s initial outdoor airport observation deck. Covering 200 square meters and situated 24 meters above ground on the land side of the building, this observation deck will provide visitors with a panoramic view of the entire airport. Providing a close-up look at aircraft takeoffs and landings, the deck will put aviation enthusiasts and the public in general in touch with the passion of air travel in an entirely immersive context. What’s more, all visitors will have access to this observation deck. Unlike other airport observation decks, they will not need to hold a boarding pass in order to access the deck. This will provide a new avenue for people to draw closer to the aviation industry and see the drama of air traffic in a convenient and free outdoor environment. Tourists, families, and airplane enthusiasts will likely visit this observation deck, which will bring a new dimension to travel experiences within Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.