Overview
The current airport in Huadu District opened on August 5, 2004, replacing the 72-year-old, identically named old airport (now closed). The new airport, built at a cost of 19.8 billion yuan, is 28 kilometres (17 mi) north of downtown Guangzhou and nearly 5 times larger than its predecessor. "Baiyun" (白云) means "white cloud" in Chinese, and refers to Baiyun Mountain (Baiyunshan) near the location of the former airport (much closer to downtown Guangzhou than the new airport). The airport is also referred to as "New Baiyun" to distinguish it from the previous version, but this is not a part of the official name.
The opening of the New Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport had relieved most of the controversies of the older and deteriorated airport because of the limited space, overcrowding and lack of expansions. Its opening allowed it to overcome curfews and restrictions and begin a 24 hour operation. This meant that China Southern Airlines could highly utilize their intercontinental routes by flying overnight. Other airlines have this benefit too.
The airport is served by the Airport South Station on Line 3 of the Guangzhou Metro.
Read more about this topic: Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport