The airport currently hastwo terminalsopen to the public, with a third under construction. Terminal 1 is reserved for private flights only.

Terminal 2 is formally divided into sections A and B, but both are located in the same building.

The airport grounds are extensive and all terminals are separate buildings that are not connected by any corridor.

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Which terminal?

The individual terminals are allocated to specific airlines.

• Terminal 2A(currently only domestic flights operated by the following airlines) – Donghai Airlines, Sichuan Airlines (domestic only), China Express Airlines (domestic only),
• Terminal 2B(currently serving only domestic flights operated by the following airlines) – 9 Air, Air Changan, Air Guilin, Beijing Capital Airlines, Fuzhou Airlines, GX Airlines, Longjiang Airlines, Lucky Air, Qingdao Airlines, Spring Airlines, West Air
• Terminal 3A(all international flights and domestic flights operated by the following airlines) – AirAsia, Air China, Air Macau, Cambodia Airways, Cathay Pacific, Chengdu Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Express Airlines (international flights only), China Southern Airlines, China United Airlines, Chongqing Airlines, Colorful Guizhou Airlines, EVA Air, Firefly, Hainan Airlines, Hebei Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Jiangxi Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, Kunming Airlines, Loong Air, Okay Airways, Qatar Airways, Ruili Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines (international flights only), Tianjin Airlines, Tibet Airlines, Xiamen Air

Connecting flights

Chongqing is a major domestic transfer hub and is also frequently used for international transfers.

Most guaranteed connections (i.e. where all flights are on a single ticket) take place within a single terminal.

The exception is for transfers from domestic to international flights (or vice versa) operated by Sichuan Airlines and China Express Airlines, where you will need to move between Terminals 2 and 3.

A free shuttle busruns between the terminals across the airport grounds from approximately 5.30 am to 10.00 pm, every 15–30 minutes. The airport shuttle buses do not run through the public area of the airport, but you can use the metro line.

International <-> International

For purely international transfers, you do not need to leave the transit area or go through passport control.

After disembarking from your flight, follow the signs for ‘International Transfer’ to security; once through security, you will find yourself directly in the departure gates area.

• Average transfer time –30–50 minutes
• Luggage during a transfer –will be transferred automatically

If you have a long layover, you can go and explore the city. You can take advantage of visa-free entry for up to 240 hours, during which time, however, you must not leave the Chongqing city area.

We explain how visa-free transit through China works in this article.

International – domestic – international

Some airlines offer international connections with two stopovers in China.

For example, you can book a single itinerary such as Budapest – Chongqing – Beijing – Sydney, or Milan – Chongqing – Haikou – Auckland, and so on.

In this case, you also do not need a visa for China and can take advantage of the 240-hour visa-free entry.

Domestic <-> Domestic

Transferring between two flights within China is very straightforward.

When you disembark, you’ll enter a special corridor; at the end of this, you’ll either head for the exit or proceed to the transfer area, which has a special security checkpoint designated for transfer passengers.

• Average transfer time –30–50 minutes
• Luggage during a transfer –will be transferred automatically

International <-> Domestic

In this case, you must always go through immigration at Chongqing Airport.

In both directions, you must leave the transit area, collect your luggage, check in again and go through security.

• Average transfer time –75–120 minutes
• Luggage during a transfer –you must collect it