Beijing Nanyuan Airport was a military airbase and a secondary commercial airport of Beijing. Located in Fengtai District, south of the 4th Ring Road and from Tiananmen Square, Nanyuan Airport was first opened in 1910, making it the oldest airport in China. It was the main hub of China United Airlines, which was also the airport's sole airline. Nanyuan Airport ceased civil operations on 25 September 2019, after all commercial passenger flights (operated by China United Airlines) were moved to the newly opened Beijing Daxing International Airport. It remained operational as a People's Liberation Army Air Force military base until 30 September 2019, when the (known as "New Nanyuan Airport" during construction, adjacent to Beijing Daxing Airport) opened. History The first aircraft landed in the Nanyuan area was in 1904. In July 1907, the government built rudimentary runways in Nanyuan's Yijun training ground (also known as the Wulidian soldier training ground) and used it for a light aircraft purchased from France. In August 1910, the Qing government began to establish air transportation in China, with the built of a factory in Nanyuan to experiment with manufacturing aircraft, the Nanyuan airport officially opened its regular use. Nanyuan airport was the first airport in China and one of the three operational airports opened before 1910s in the world. After the Xinhai Revolution, Yuan Shikai, who followed suggestions from the French advisers, established the first official flying academy in China in 1913: Nanyuan Flying Academy, with Li Ruyan as chief, and purchased 10 French Caudron trainer aircraft for 300,000 silver dollars. After the Second Zhili-Fengtian War, the academy was closed. However, the more than 100 pilots that trained in the academy over 4 terms have played important roles in China's aviation history. Later on, some of them has become key persons in civil aviation. In the brief episode of the Manchu Restoration led by Qing loyalist general Zhang Xun in July 1917, then-Premier Duan Qirui ordered a Caudron Type D aircraft piloted by Pan Shizhong (潘世忠) and bombardier Du Yuyuan (杜裕源) of the country's fledgling air force based in Nanyuan airbase to fly to and drop bombs over the Forbidden City; three bombs were dropped, causing the death of a eunuch, but otherwise minor damage. During the Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese Army extended the airport, upgraded its air traffic control facilities, and changed the name to Nanyuan military camp. After the Surrender of