In 1939 (the 28th year of the Republic), on February 6, the Japanese military proposed establishing a civil airport between Taiyuan and Yuci, citing the need to "maintain public order in Shanxi Province and promote industrial development" (維持山西省之治安及產業開發). With the approval of Wang Yitang’s (王揖唐) Provisional Government of the Republic of China, the Shanxi Provincial Government issued an airfield survey order to Liang Ruzhang (梁如璋), director of the Taiyuan Highway Engineering Bureau. In June 1939, construction of Wusu Airport began, named after the nearby Wusu Village. The construction project was undertaken by a team organized by the Japanese engineer Akishima Nobuo (秋島信雄). On November 1939, the airport was opened to traffic, operated as a joint military-civilian airport. In March 1940 (the 29th year of the Republic), based on designs prepared by the Highway Division of the Taiyuan Highway Engineering Bureau, the existing southern section was extended northward toward Xinying Village. After leveling and compacting the ground, a north–south runway measuring 1,000 meters long and 80 meters wide was built, along with an east–west earthen taxiway 700 meters long and 30 meters wide. The earthen taxiway was later upgraded to a concrete surface. In 1945, operations were suspended, and the airport was repaired and reopened in November 1946. In 1948 during the Liberation of Taiyuan, the airport was captured by the
People's Liberation Army. Following capture in October 1948, operations were suspended again, and the airport was converted for military use. Since December 1951, the city of Taiyuan was served by the nearby
Taiyuan Qinxian Airport, which was equipped with a single concrete runway. On December 9, 1959, Wusu Airport was approved for allocation to civil aviation, however, implementation was shelved due to economic reasons. By the late 1960s, Qinxian Airport was unable to accommodate the region's growing needs, and ownership of Wusu Airport was transferred to the
Civil Aviation Administration of China in November 1969. On April 1, 1970, construction work aimed at upgrading pre-existing facilties began, which included the construction of a new terminal. On July 1, 1971, Taiyuan Wusu Airport was officially opened, and operations were relocated from Qinxian Airport. In 1984, the terminal building was expanded, and the airport was approved to be opened for foreign traffic on 30 March, 1993.
International operations By the 1990s, Taiyuan Wusu Airport was significantly upgraded for international use. On February 21, 1995, Terminal 1 (T1) entered trial operations. On January 21, 1996, the newer runway 13/31 entered trial operations. On December 25, 1996, T1 and runway 13/31 was opened, and the airfield classification was upgraded from 4C to 4D. Subsequently, the old runway and terminal building was decommissioned. On January 12, 2004, it was designated as an international airport, and was approved to expand foreign access. Since March 2006, the airport has undergone an expansion phase with a new terminal at a cost of CNY 1.57 billion, and is capable of serving 6 million passengers a year. Construction was completed in late 2007. Since this expansion, it has been able to serve as a diversionary airport for
Beijing Capital International Airport, and notably performed that function during the
2008 Summer Olympics. On November 13, 2007, the airport was renamed to Taiyuan Wusu International Airport. On September 1, 2008, Terminal 2 (T2) opened, and T1 closed 4 days later for renovation. In January 2012, the airfield classification was upgraded from 4D to 4E, and T1 was reopened on January 1, 2014. The airport is a focus city for both
China Eastern Airlines and
Hainan Airlines. As of 2020, Taiyuan Wusu International Airport was the
30th busiest airport in the
People's Republic of China, with 9,013,205 passengers. On 7 September 2021, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) officially issued its approval of the Project Proposal for the Phase III Expansion of Taiyuan Wusu International Airport, marking the formal establishment of the project. At the end of 2021, construction work for the airport’s Phase III expansion officially began. The new works are divided into three major zones: the terminal area, the landside transport area, and the airside flight area. The terminal area includes the T3 terminal building, outdoor works for T3, and an integrated ground‑transportation center. This phase of the project included a new 400,000‑square‑meter T3 terminal, a second runway 3,600 meters long and 45 meters wide, an apron with 127 aircraft stands, a 50,000‑square‑meter integrated transportation center, a 130,000‑square‑meter parking structure, and new cargo, catering, maintenance, and auxiliary production facilities, along with supporting power, water, drainage, and fuel‑supply infrastructure. ==Airlines and destinations==