Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (IATA: CGO, ICAO: ZHCC) is an international airport serving Zhengzhou, the capital of South Central China’s Henan province. The airport is located in Xinzheng, 37 kilometres (23 mi) southeast of downtown Zhengzhou. It was opened on 28 August 1997, replacing its predecessor, the now-demolished Dongjiao Airport. The airport is the largest international airport in Henan and serves as a main gateway for the province and the central plain area.

The airport is operated by Henan Airport Group and is a hub for Cargolux, as well as a focus city for China Southern Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, West Air, Lucky Air, and Donghai Airlines. According to statistics of 2018, it is the 12th-busiest airport by passenger traffic in the People’s Republic of China with 27,334,730 passengers, and the seventh busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic nationwide. As of 2018, the airport is the busiest airport in central China in both passenger and cargo traffic.

General tips for China

many foreign websites and apps are blocked and don’t work in China. Below you will find some helpful apps:

• WeChat: every Chinese use this app, it also has a good translation function that helps really a lot because the language is the main barrier. You can translate from Chinese writings and they can translate your English into Chinese characters. This is a must have. The common western messenger services like Facebook, WhatsApp etc. don not work in China!
• Alipay: it is a major Chinese App that can be registered abroad and almost all shops/stores/hotels etc. support it as an official payment. You can add your western credit card like Amex, VISA or Mastercard to Alipay in advance. Furthermore you can also book and pay flights, hotels, restaurants, didi etc. with the app. This app is a must have!
• Didi: the Chinese “Uber”. Very helpful to reach the spots which are not connected to the public transport.
• Baidu Maps or Gaode Maps: this is the chinese google/apple maps.

We recommend to buy a chinese eSIM in advance from airalo for example. It is cheap and simple to install.

Written by Tombarelli Federico. Last Update: April 2024

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
12R/30L	3,400 (11,155ft) concrete
12L/30R	3,600 (11,811ft) concrete
Terminals
Terminal 1	Closed now.
Terminal 2	The nowadays operative terminal.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Not required.
Car/Public Transport	Spot #2 can be reached by foot after using metro or busses, for Spot #1 you need a car so you must use Didi or know a local person to bring you there.
Drinks/Food	Nothing around in both spots, bring a lot of water in sping/summer as it is super hot and you have no shadow at all to hide. Near your hotel you will find a lot of small markets to get what you need before going spotting
Hotels	Plenty hotels outside the airport area, you really have all the choices you want. However, none is special for spotting.
Season	In summer it might be too hot and too rainy, thus we recommend the months from october to april.
Security	Security knows that spotters/enthusiasts go to those locations and they really don’t care, you are free to enjoy your stay.
Runway Usage
12R/30L	Almost all arrivals expect foreign cargo.
12L/30R	All departures and foreign cargos like Cargolux, Turkish Cargo, Silk Way etc. will land here.

Due to national security concerns, the use of geographic information in China is restricted and the layers in google maps don´t fit. The satellite images are correct but the street layers are displaced! 
Please click on the link at each location (WHERE) to get to the chinese website baidu where you find an exact map with satellite and street view images. If you use a smartphone please download the Baidu App.

	Spot #1 – The Hills – Taxiways and 12L/30R
WHERE	This spot is located in a field with a lot of hills, just in front of the terminal and next to 2 taxiways and the RWY 12L/30R. To reach this spot you have to insert as destination for your navigator/Didi destinantion “Changying Tunnel” which is east of the Terminal along Changying Road. This is also the only road going there so you can’t miss it even only by looking at the map, is quite intuitive. The fields are open so you just get off the car and start walk to the spot on the map. Be aware that it might be difficult to get a Didi to pick you up to get back as you are in the middle of nowhere for them. You might need to walk a bit down the road to get closer to the other big road to get a driver accepting your request.
WHAT	Every movement taxing to the RWY for departure or arrivals taxing to the parkings in front of you or on the left of the terminal. There are 3 taxiways so be aware that the focal lenght might vary fast from airplane to airplane, anyway you have a clear and wide sight so you can be ready easily in time. For RWY shots: -If RWY12 is active you get aircraft rotating in front of you. -If RWY 30 is active you get taxing aircraft parallel to the rwy and then while rolling on the rwy.
TIME	Basically you can stay there all day long. From Sunrise to around midday for taxiways and then from midday to sunset for runway. Heat haze becomes a problem only on the farthest taxiway once the day gets hotter around noon. On RWY the same, around midday it is hazy so you can walk a bit down the runway to get the airplanes already airborn and avoid haze until it cools down and you can shoot on the ground again in the afternoon.
MISC.	No ladder needed as you are over all the fences, bring a lot of water and some snacks, maybe something to sit down also to enjoy all day long there.
FOCAL LENGTH	Taxiways: B737-800: from 60mm for to 220mm depending on which taxiway – the middle taxiway is the most common and needs around 110/120mm. Runway: 200mm A320; 120mm B747

Taxiways:

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Runway:

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	Spot #2 – Cargo Taxiway Hill – Departures 12L from Cargo Apron
WHERE	This spot is located on a hill next to the only taxiway from cargo apron for departures while RWY12 is active. The spot is a the end of Shizu Road: just set the Didi destination near the taxiway near spot 2 on the map, you should recognize it easily. When you reach a big wall you should find a car park and on your left some trees with a walking path among them. You take it and you will find the fence, here you see on your right the hill and you just climb. Some Chinese spotters gave us those coordinates (113.861035, 34.537077), but we don’t know if you can make them work. Anyway, it isn’t hard at all to find.
WHAT	Only Cargo planes. This spot is great for taxing planes out of the Cargo Apron. You are really close and the view is incredible. Also if the day isn’t too hot you might take some pics of the Cargo apron or the closest planes to you, if not blocked by vehicles or objects. Check those links to get an idea: https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/10886366  or  https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/10957374
TIME	Afternoon only.
MISC.	You get only movements from cargo apron so you will go there with a clear target in mind, otherwise it will be a waste of time… But bring everything you need with you like water and snacks as there is nothing around. No ladder needed you are quite high already.
FOCAL LENGTH	24-100mm Tu204: 40mm

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