Quzhou Air Base (衢州 Quzhou Airport)
Summary
Operating Country | 🇨🇳 China |
Location | 🇨🇳 China |
Status | ◉ Active |
Usage | Dual |
Year built | 1933 |
Operating Organization | People's Liberation Army Air Force |
Description
Quzhou Airport, also known as Quzhou Air Base, is a dual-use military and civil airport located 2.9 kilometers east of Quzhou city in Zhejiang Province, China. It was built around 1933 and is owned by the PLA Air Force. Originally a military airfield, it was expanded for use by United States Army Air Forces during World War II and was intended as a refueling point for the Doolittle Raiders. Japanese troops took control of the base on June 3, 1942. In the early hours of June 23, 1956, a MiG-17 fighter jet from Quzhou Airport shot down a Republic of China Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress, marking the first night shootdown by PLAAF air defenses. The airport opened a small passenger terminal for commercial flights on November 26, 1993. It is considered one of the largest air bases of the PLAAF, located approximately 500 km from Taiwan. The facility includes a hardened underground hangar designed to protect aircraft. The air base is home to the 29th Fighter Division, which operates the Sukhoi Su-30MKK, and the 85th Fighter Brigade, equipped with the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter. The airport features a 2,500-meter concrete runway.