Xining Caojiabao International Airport — Haidong (Huzhu Tu Autonomous County), China

Xining Caojiabao International Airport carries the code XNN and actually sits in Haidong rather than in Xining itself, roughly 18 miles east of the Qinghai provincial capital it primarily serves. Perched at high altitude on the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the airport functions as a key gateway for travelers heading toward Tibet, Golmud, and the scenic Qinghai Lake basin. A new terminal completed in 2013 replaced older facilities and significantly increased capacity, reflecting steady growth in both tourism and trade for the region. Qinghai Airlines maintains a base here, supporting a route network that links Xining to major Chinese cities as well as smaller plateau communities. Because of its elevation and thin air, the airport requires longer runways and careful aircraft performance planning, a characteristic shared with other high-altitude airports across western China.