HOHHOT -- Hohhot Shengle International Airport -- the first 4F-class airport in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region -- successfully completed a verification test flight on Tuesday, marking its transition from construction to preparation for formal operations.

The test flight was conducted by Air China and lasted approximately 500 minutes. It verified that the airport's flight procedures, operational standards, runway surfaces, taxiway markings, and communication and navigation systems met industry standards.

The facility is designed to handle 28 million passengers, 320,000 tonnes of cargo, and 244,000 aircraft take-offs and landings annually by 2030. It is capable of accommodating large aircraft, including the Airbus A380.

Upon its launch of operations, the airport is scheduled to take over air transport services from Hohhot Baita International Airport. It is set to become a key aviation hub in northern China, the primary alternate airport for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei airport cluster, a top-tier aviation port, and a crucial transportation node on the Belt and Road.

As of June 21, 2025, the Chinese mainland has 16 operational airports in the 4F class -- the world's highest class of airports capable of handling large aircraft.