Yibin Wuliangye Airport

Yibin Wuliangye Airport is a dual-use public and military airport serving the city of Yibin in southern Sichuan province, China. Opened in December 2019, it replaced the older Yibin Caiba Airport. The airport is named after Wuliangye, a locally made liquor that is one of the most famous baijiu brands in China.

Overview
The airport received approval from the State Council of China in May 2012. It occupies an area of 4,500 mu (300 ha) in Zongchang Town (宗场), Cuiping District, 11 km northwest of the city center. Construction began in October 2016 with a total investment of 2.927 billion yuan, and the airport opened on 5 December 2019. It replaced the older Yibin Caiba Airport.

Facilities
The airport has a runway that is 2,600 m long and 45 m wide (class 4C), a 24,000 m2 terminal building, and 13 aircraft parking aprons. It is projected to handle 2.5 million passengers annually by 2024.

Naming
The airport is named after Wuliangye, a famous liquor made in Yibin. This choice of name caused controversy in China. The name has been a target of ridicule by the public and is considered illegal by some legal experts. Although Renhuai Maotai Airport, another airport under construction in nearby Guizhou Province, is also named after the famous liquor brand Maotai, it has not attracted as much criticism as Maotai itself is named after a town. Responding to the controversy, the Wuliangye Company has declared that it has not paid to have the airport named after its brand.