Japan in 1945, Nanyuan Airport has become one of the most important airports for the Nationalist government and its air force. The private planes of Chiang Kai-shek and Fu Zuoyi have taken off from the Nanyuan Airport; many of Kuomintang's important military and government personnels have also boarded flights from Nanyuan. There was also an aviation accident happened at the airport in 1945. During 1946 United States Marine Corps fighter squadron VMF-218 was based here. in December 1948, the People's Liberation Army took control of the airport. In August 1949, the first flying brigade of the People's Liberation Army Air Force was formed in here, and they participated in the People's Republic of China Founding Ceremony's flying missions. Since then, Nanyuan Airport has been supporting the training of air and ground forces in all of the subsequent National Day Show of Force events. In 1986, China United Airlines was established as a military-owned civil airline with special authorization to use military airports. Becoming the first commercial airline to serve Nanyuan, it turned the airbase into its main hub. It has continued to operate out of the airbase despite its 2004 privatization and sale to Shanghai Airlines. In 2008, Nanyuan Airport witnessed a high growth rate. The total number of passengers served increased by 80.1%, reaching 1,357,038; total freight loaded/unloaded reached 13,243 tonnes, which was a 65.6% increase from the previous year. Traffic movements also had a very strong growth rate of 72.2%, registering 12,245. Nanyuan Airport opened a new terminal in September 2013 with a designed passenger handling capacity of 6 million people. The previous terminal was capable of handling 2.8 million passengers during 2011. Nanyuan ceased civil operation on 25 September 2019, after all commercial passenger flights were moved to the newly opened Beijing Daxing International Airport. Nanyuan remains operational as a People's Liberation Army Air Force air base until late September 2019, when the Beijing Nanjiao Airport (known as "New Nanyuan Airport" during construction) opened. See also Beijing Capital International Airport Beijing Daxing International Airport Beijing Xijiao Airport List of People's Liberation Army Air Force airbases References Airports established in 1910 Airports disestablished in 2019 1910 establishments in China Airports in Beijing Defunct airports in China Chinese Air Force bases Buildings and structures in Fengtai District Transport in Fengtai District 2019 disestablishments in China