Shanghai Longhua Airport

Shanghai Longhua Airport
Name	Longhua Airport
Type	Defunct
City-served	Shanghai
Location	Longhua, Xuhui District
Opened	1922 (as seaplane base)
Closed	2019 (commercial operations ended earlier)

Shanghai Longhua Airport

Shanghai Longhua Airport was a historic aviation facility located in the Longhua area of Xuhui District, Shanghai. It served as one of the earliest civil and military airfields in the Republic of China (1912–1949), hosted pioneering commercial routes linking Shanghai with cities such as Hong Kong, Nanjing, and Hangzhou, and played roles during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. The site's layered usage involved aviation companies, foreign airlines, and municipal authorities across the Republic of China (1912–1949), People's Republic of China, and international operators.

History

Longhua began as an aviation field and seaplane terminus in the early 1920s connected with firms and institutions including China National Aviation Corporation, Junkers, Douglas Aircraft Company, and individuals tied to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China precursor networks. During the 1930s Longhua functioned alongside Hongqiao International Airport as Shanghai's principal air hub, with routes operated by Pan American World Airways, Imperial Japanese Airways, Cathay Pacific, and China Airlines (1912–1949). The airport's facilities were affected by the Second Sino-Japanese War, Battle of Shanghai (1937), and subsequent occupation, with usage by Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and postwar restructuring under the Chinese Civil War and People's Liberation Army administrations. Post-1949, Longhua supported domestic carriers such as CAAC Airlines and later participated in the reform era aviation expansions involving China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines affiliates. Over decades the airport's profile reflected shifts tied to Treaty of Shanghai, municipal planning like the Shanghai Master Plan, and regional transport policies associated with Yangtze River Delta integration.

Facilities and infrastructure

The Longhua complex combined runways, passenger terminals, hangars, control towers, and maintenance depots influenced by designs from firms such as Curtiss-Wright, Fokker, Boeing, and Lockheed. Infrastructure evolution included apron expansions during the 1940s, installation of radio navigation systems paralleling standards from International Civil Aviation Organization recommendations, and later upgrades compatible with jet age operations exemplified by aircraft families like the Boeing 737, Douglas DC-3, Douglas DC-4, and Hawker Siddeley Trident. Ancillary facilities housed training schools linked to Civil Aviation University of China, repair workshops resembling those of Shenyang Aircraft Corporation style maintenance, and fuel farms following protocols influenced by International Air Transport Association. The airport sat near transport nodes such as Longhua Temple, Longhua Martyrs' Cemetery, and municipal arteries connecting to The Bund, Jinjiang District, and railheads tied to Shanghai South Railway Station.

Airlines and destinations

Throughout its operational life Longhua hosted a shifting roster: early international service by Imperial Japanese Airways and Pan American World Airways; intercity flights by China National Aviation Corporation, China Airlines (1912–1949), CAAC Airlines; regional carriers including Cathay Pacific and later domestic operators like China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, and smaller regional lines. Destinations included Hong Kong International Airport predecessor terminals serving Kai Tak Airport, regional centers such as Nanjing Lukou International Airport precursor links, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport connections, and seasonal services toward Beijing Capital International Airport pathways. Charter and cargo activities periodically involved logistics firms akin to FedEx and UPS in cooperative arrangements during the late 20th century.

Accidents and incidents

The airport's long operational span saw notable events involving aircraft types including Douglas DC-3, Ilyushin Il-12, and early jetliners. Incidents ranged from runway excursions in adverse weather conditions linked to typhoon-era storms common to the East China Sea region, to wartime damage during the Battle of Shanghai (1937) and sporadic airframe losses associated with complex flight operations in congested Shanghai airspace. Investigations were conducted following protocols established by bodies such as the Civil Aviation Administration of China and mirrored practices from International Civil Aviation Organization accident inquiry norms; outcomes influenced airport safety upgrades and eventual operational restrictions.

Closure and redevelopment

With the opening and expansion of Hongqiao International Airport and later Pudong International Airport, Longhua's commercial role diminished. Municipal decisions aligned with the Shanghai Master Plan and urban redevelopment initiatives led to phased cessation of scheduled services, reclassification of land, and repurposing projects involving partnerships with entities like Shanghai Municipal Government development bureaus and cultural institutions including the Shanghai Film Museum. Redevelopment proposals referenced precedents in adaptive reuse seen at sites such as Tempelhof Airport in Berlin and Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong, balancing heritage preservation with transit-oriented redevelopment near Xuhui District corridors and the Huangpu River waterfront.

Cultural significance and legacy

Longhua left a visible imprint on Shanghai's urban memory through proximity to landmarks like Longhua Temple, associations with filmmakers from the Shanghai Film Studio, appearances in media linked to the Golden Age of Chinese Cinema, and commemoration at sites like Longhua Martyrs' Cemetery. Aviation heritage groups, museums, and academic programs at institutions such as Fudan University and Tongji University study its role in networks connecting Asia-Pacific air travel, colonial-era commerce, and modern Chinese aviation history. The site has inspired urban historians referencing works in Shanghai Studies, preservation debates akin to those surrounding Bund Conservation District, and cultural projects that integrate aviation motifs into public spaces and exhibitions.

Category:Airports in Shanghai