Guangzhou sits at the heart of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area, the world’s most densely populated urban region. This sprawling metropolitan cluster includes neighbouring cities such as Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, parts of Jiangmen and Huizhou, as well as Zhuhai and Macau, collectively home to roughly 70 million residents. To address growing air traffic demands, China’s State Council has approved the construction of a new international airport in Guangdong, the country’s most populous province.
The facility, known as the Pearl River Delta International Airport (Guangzhou New) Airport, aims to relieve congestion at existing airports while supporting the region’s ambitions as an international cargo hub. The airport, planned for Foshan’s Gaoming district, will primarily serve western Guangdong, diverting passenger traffic from Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport, Shenzhen’s Bao’an Airport, and other nearby facilities.
The airport is expected to start operations in 2028. By 2035, the new airport is projected to handle 30 million passengers annually, doubling to over 60 million by 2050.
Cargo throughput is reportedly forecasted at 500,000 tonnes by 2030, expanding to 2.2 million tonnes by 2050.
For comparison, Guangzhou Baiyun processed more than 63 million passengers and over 2 million tonnes of cargo in 2023, while Hong Kong International Airport handled 40 million travellers and became the world’s busiest air cargo hub with 4.5 million tonnes processed.
Experts have said the new airport is crucial for balancing aviation demand in Guangdong. Plans also include a direct link to the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang high-speed rail.
Meanwhile, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport has recently opened Terminal 3, which represents a key step in its expansion into a “five-runway, three-terminal” operation.
Terminal 3 with its fifth runway officially began operations on October 30, 2025, with China Eastern Airlines’ flight MU6308 to Beijing Daxing International Airport.
Designed around the concept of a flower to reflect Guangzhou’s nickname as the “Flower City,” T3 incorporates local architectural features inspired by Baiyun Mountain and the Pearl River.