Chengdu Shuangliu Airport (CTU) Guide 2026: Metro, Transit

CTU or TFU — and why the answer just changed

You can no longer infer the airport from the destination. Seven carriers moved 22 regional services back to Shuangliu between 30 July and 2 August 2026, and Tianfu kept some of its own. Both airports run them now.

Shuangliu (CTU) suits you if…

Domestic business shuttles, tourist and high-plateau routes (Lhasa, Nyingchi) — and, since the move completed on 2026-08-02, most HK/Macau/Taiwan flights. It is the close-in airport: ~20 km to Chunxi Road, Metro Line 10 direct, ¥50-70 by taxi off-peak.

Tianfu (TFU) suits you if…

All regular international long-haul and most domestic trunk routes land at TFU, ~50 km southeast — newer, usually cheaper fares, but a 1.5-hour taxi at ¥150-200 if you miss the metro.

Booked the wrong one? Chengdu is the rare dual-airport city that built a rail link between them: Metro Line 19 airport-to-airport express (two stops: TFU ↔ CTU T2-East) · overnight coach line 5 (00:00-05:00, hourly) · taxi ~40-60 min — ~30 min by the Line 19 express; 67.5 km by road, ~48 min driving, ~¥10 metro · ¥25 night coach · ¥150-200 taxi. The full comparison is in our Shuangliu vs Tianfu guide.

Terminal 1 or Terminal 2

Sichuan Airlines and China Southern domestic, plus most of the regional flights that returned from Tianfu in the summer of 2026 — seven carriers between them: Air China, Sichuan Air, HK Airlines, Air Macau, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines and EVAReopened 2025-02-24 after a refit begun in 2023. The building also holds the airport's best-kept secret, a lounge with free showers — see the services section.

the Air China group (Air China, Shenzhen Airlines) plus China Eastern, Chengdu Airlines, Tibet Airlines, Loong Air and most remaining domestic carriersThe intercity railway station (Shuangliu Airport station) sits at T2 level B2; Metro Line 10 serves both terminals. Arriving by car, Air China and Shenzhen Airlines passengers want door 13 and China Eastern and Chengdu Airlines door 10 — the check-in islands are a long way apart inside.

A Sichuan Airlines Airbus A321 lifting off from Chengdu Shuangliu — A Sichuan Airlines departure. The airline is one of the two whose domestic flights work Terminal 1, and the one whose through-tickets carry the free transit hotel further down this page.

Getting between the terminals: four ways, and the best one is free

This is the question people arrive at this page asking, and the usual answer — catch the shuttle — is not the best one. The buildings are close enough that walking is often quicker, and if you are already past security you may not need to leave the secure area at all.

Walk it airside

When: You are already through security with no checked bag.

The restricted zones of T1 and T2 are connected, so you cross without being screened again. The calmest option, and the one almost nobody realises exists.

Walk it outside

When: You have come out to arrivals, or you are not through security yet.

An outdoor covered walkway from the departures level, 10 to 15 minutes. The buildings are only 800 m to 1 km apart and the route is lit at night.

Free shuttle

When: You have heavy bags, or you are short of time.

Boards at T2 from door 9 on the 3F departures level, roughly 10 m to the left as you step out. About every 10-15 minutes, two to three minutes on the road. ⚠️ Stops after 01:00.

Metro, one stop

When: You would rather sit down and are not in a hurry.

Line 10 links the two terminals in a single stop; tap out and back in to change.

Because the check-in halls are in separate buildings, checking in on the airline app before you set out saves more here than at a single-terminal airport — you can go straight to security in whichever building your gate is in.

Into Chengdu

The whole advantage of the old airport is that it is near: a metro line runs from under the terminals, and the taxi hop is short enough to stay reasonable even late at night.

Metro Line 10

to Taipingyuan (transfer to Line 3/7 for the center)

~30 min toward the center · ¥4-6

Take it if: the default — stations under both terminals

Intercity rail from Shuangliu Airport station (T2, level B2)

to Chengdu East HSR hub (also Chengdu South en route)

~10-16 min · ~¥8

Take it if: onward HSR from Chengdu East — the fastest airport-to-HSR hop in Chengdu

Landing at T1, take the free door-3/9 shuttle or the indoor link to T2 first.

Taxi / DiDi

to Chunxi Road and central Chengdu

~28 min off-peak (20.7 km by road, Amap 2026-08-02); 30-40 min in traffic · ¥50-70 by day, around ¥80 after 23:00

Take it if: luggage or late arrival — the short-hop advantage of the close-in airport

Taxis have their own marked rank; ride-hail pickup is in the P3 or P4 car parks rather than at the kerb, so check the pin the app gives you before you walk out.

Airport night line

to Chunxi Road / central Chengdu

~40-60 min

Take it if: landing after the metro winds down

Night service runs ~21:00-04:30; daytime, the metro and intercity rail cover everything.

Paying for the ride: DiDi Rider, the international app, takes most foreign Visa, Mastercard and Amex cards; the DiDi mini-programme inside Alipay is the other reliable route, settling through Alipay International. Editor first-hand: foreign Visa via Alipay booked Chengdu DiDi rides in 2025-11. Our Alipay setup guide covers the binding step.

Onward by high-speed train: From T1, shuttle or walk to T2 first. Chengdu East runs the Chongqing corridor and most long-haul HSR. See our Chengdu East station guide for what happens when you arrive.

Book a private airport transfer for a late landing or a group with bags

Timing: connections and check-in

Under 2 hours, changing terminals

Tight but not hopeless, because the two terminals are only 800 m to 1 km apart. If you are already airside with no checked bag, stay inside — the T1 and T2 restricted zones are connected, so you can walk it without clearing security again. Landside, the free shuttle runs about every 10-15 minutes and the ride itself is only 2-3 minutes.

3-6 hours

Enough for the city, unusually for a Chinese airport: Chunxi Road is ~20 km away and Metro Line 10 runs from under the terminal. Reckon on 30-40 minutes each way by taxi. If you would rather not leave, there is a Chengdu Library reading room and a small municipal art gallery landside, and somewhere to wash — see the services section.

Overnight

Sichuan Airlines through-tickets with a 4-48 hour connection can claim a free hotel with breakfast and a shuttle, applied for in the airline's own app. Otherwise sleep pods run about ¥99-100, or airport-area hotels with pickup go for ¥30-50 a head. ⚠️ The inter-terminal shuttle stops after 01:00 — if you are at the wrong terminal for an early flight, you are walking or paying for a taxi.

Check-in closes at different times for different airlines. On the Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan services that returned to T1: Air China, Sichuan Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines shut 45 minutes before departure, China Eastern 50, and Tibet Airlines, HK Airlines, Air Macau, China Airlines, Cathay Pacific and EVA 60. Worth reading twice if you were planning to turn up at the usual hour.

Chengdu is a 240-hour visa-free transit port, but most Western nationalities are now 30-day visa-free and do not need it — check your own passport rather than assuming. Check your passport against the transit rules.

Sleeping here, and the free transit hotel

Check this before you book anything: Airport-area hotels with a free pickup run about ¥30-50 a head including breakfast. Sichuan Airlines passengers on a through-ticket with 4 to 48 hours between flights can apply in the airline's app for a free hotel room, breakfast and a shuttle running every 30 minutes.

Sleep pods in T2 beside check-in island Q (24 hours, singles from about ¥99) and near doors 11-12 (about ¥100 overnight, with power and a reading light — the air conditioning runs cold, and staff will hand out eye masks and earplugs). If all you need is to lie down for a couple of hours between flights, the T1 lounge costs nothing at all.

Hotels at Shuangliu Airport check the pin — Chengdu has two airports

Showers, left luggage, SIM cards

The free shower almost nobody finds

The transit lounge in Terminal 1 is free to use and has free showers stocked with shampoo, body wash and a disposable toothbrush. It sits one level up from baggage reclaim, directly below domestic security checkpoint C. Beside it is a food area priced the same as the city rather than at airport rates — rare enough to justify the walk over from T2 on its own.

Left luggage

T1: between doors 6 and 7 in the domestic departures hall, staffed around the clock, plus a point in the arrivals service area. T2: behind check-in islands P and N on the 3F departures level, staffed roughly 04:30 to 23:00. Around ¥8-40 depending on size and time. Note that taking the bag out ends the booking — you cannot open it and put it back. ⚠️ Travellers reported disruption at the T2 points during 2026, so T1 or the 24-hour self-service lockers are the safer choice.

SIM cards and the tax refund

Unlike some Chinese airports, Shuangliu does have carrier desks in arrivals. They still require the usual passport registration, so an eSIM bought before you fly is the faster path if you land late or have a tight connection.

For the departure tax refund: the international / hong kong, macau and taiwan departures area, past security. Customs validate the goods and stamp the form before check-in; the refund is paid at the agent counter airside. Bring the shop-issued form, the original receipt, your passport and the unused goods.

Not confirmed: which terminal the counter now sits in. Anything written before this month may point at the wrong building — ask at the departures information desk rather than trusting an older guide.

The full setup is in our connectivity guide.

Frequently asked questions

Chengdu has two airports — which one am I flying into?

Read the three-letter code on the booking, because the word "Chengdu" no longer settles it. Domestic business shuttles, tourist and high-plateau routes (Lhasa, Nyingchi) — and, since the move completed on 2026-08-02, most HK/Macau/Taiwan flights. It is the close-in airport: ~20 km to Chunxi Road, Metro Line 10 direct, ¥50-70 by taxi off-peak. All regular international long-haul and most domestic trunk routes land at TFU, ~50 km southeast — newer, usually cheaper fares, but a 1.5-hour taxi at ¥150-200 if you miss the metro. And since 2 August 2026 BOTH airports run Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan flights, after seven carriers moved 22 of those services back to Shuangliu — so even a regional destination is no longer a reliable clue.

How far apart are Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and how do I get between them?

Only 800 metres to a kilometre, which is close enough to walk: an outdoor covered walkway from the departures level takes 10 to 15 minutes. If you are already through security with no checked bag, better still — the restricted zones of the two terminals are connected, so you can cross airside without being screened again. Otherwise the free shuttle boards at T2 from door 9 on the 3F departures level, about 10 metres to your left, roughly every 10 to 15 minutes with a two- to three-minute ride. Metro Line 10 also links them in one stop. One catch: the shuttle stops after 01:00.

Does Shuangliu provide transit accommodation?

Yes, under one specific condition. Airport-area hotels with a free pickup run about ¥30-50 a head including breakfast. Sichuan Airlines passengers on a through-ticket with 4 to 48 hours between flights can apply in the airline's app for a free hotel room, breakfast and a shuttle running every 30 minutes. If you do not qualify, the in-terminal options cost less than a hotel: Sleep pods in T2 beside check-in island Q (24 hours, singles from about ¥99) and near doors 11-12 (about ¥100 overnight, with power and a reading light — the air conditioning runs cold, and staff will hand out eye masks and earplugs). If all you need is to lie down for a couple of hours between flights, the T1 lounge costs nothing at all.

What's the fastest way from CTU into central Chengdu?

Three real options. Metro Line 10 — ~30 min toward the center, ¥4-6 — runs from beneath both terminals. A taxi is ~28 min off-peak (20.7 km by road, Amap 2026-08-02); 30-40 min in traffic, ¥50-70 by day, around ¥80 after 23:00. If you are heading straight for a high-speed train instead, intercity rail from shuangliu airport station (t2, level b2) reaches Chengdu East HSR hub (also Chengdu South en route) in ~10-16 min for ~¥8, the quickest airport-to-rail hop in the city. Ride-hail pickup is in the P3 or P4 car parks rather than at the kerb.

How early do I need to check in?

It depends which airline, which is unusual enough to be worth checking. On the Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan flights that returned to T1: Air China, Sichuan Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines close check-in 45 minutes before departure; China Eastern closes at 50; Tibet Airlines, HK Airlines, Air Macau, China Airlines, Cathay Pacific and EVA all close at 60. Because T1 and T2 have completely separate check-in halls, checking in on the airline app before you arrive is worth more here than at most airports.

Is there anywhere to shower or leave luggage?

Both, and the shower is free. The transit lounge in Terminal 1 — one level up from baggage reclaim, directly below domestic security checkpoint C — has free showers stocked with shampoo, body wash and a disposable toothbrush. Left luggage is in T1 between doors 6 and 7 in the domestic departures hall, staffed around the clock, and in T2 behind check-in islands P and N, staffed roughly 04:30 to 23:00. Reckon on ¥8-40. Travellers reported disruption at the T2 points during 2026, so T1 or the 24-hour self-service lockers are the safer bet.

Can I buy a SIM card at the airport?

How do I get between Shuangliu and Tianfu if I booked the wrong one?

Metro Line 19 airport-to-airport express (two stops: TFU ↔ CTU T2-East) · overnight coach line 5 (00:00-05:00, hourly) · taxi ~40-60 min — ~30 min by the Line 19 express; 67.5 km by road, ~48 min driving, ~¥10 metro · ¥25 night coach · ¥150-200 taxi. With three or more hours between flights the metro express is comfortable; under two, only a taxi with carry-on luggage has a realistic chance. Note the two airports are 67.5 km apart by road — this is not a mistake you fix in twenty minutes.

Related Chengdu guides

Shuangliu vs Tianfu — the two airports compared, in one decision table.
Chengdu Tianfu Airport (TFU) — the other one, and the long-haul gateway.
Chengdu East Railway Station — where the in-airport intercity train delivers you.
Chengdu city guide — everything we publish on the city.

Sources

Re-checked 2 August 2026, the day the Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan move completed. Official announcements for the seven carriers, the 22 flights, the phasing dates and the per-airline check-in cutoffs. Amap routing for the road distance and time into the city and for the terminal positions. Traveller reports for the lived layer — the walk between terminals and the airside connection, the shuttle door and its 01:00 stop, the free transit lounge and its showers, left-luggage hours and the 2026 disruption, and the sleeping options and their prices.

⭐ Corrections made this round: our own dataset and this page carried two different distances between the Chengdu airports, and the coordinates settled it before any routing call — they are 55.4 km apart in a straight line, which rules out the lower figure outright; routing then returned 67.5 km / ~48 minutes, used throughout. The taxi estimate was also too low and too quick, and the Terminal 2 airline list predated the 2025–2026 reshuffles.

The one thing this check could not pin: which terminal the departure tax-refund counter now sits in — the regional flights moved back on the day of checking — so follow the refund signage airside rather than a printed terminal letter. See the editor's about page.