Consul General Winston Dean S. Almeda (fourth from right) tours the International Departure Area of the Xiamen Xiang’an International Airport (XXIA) Terminal 1, slated to be inaugurated at the end of 2026.

XIAMEN, 4 March 2026 - Xiamen’s infrastructural development will mark a significant milestone once the Xiamen Xiang’an International Airport (XXIA) opens at the end of the year.

XXIA officials provided a guided tour of the airport’s Terminal 1 - International Departures Area to Philippine Consul General to Xiamen Winston Dean S. Almeda and other PCG representatives. With an area of 550,000 sqm, the Terminal is envisioned to handle 45 million passengers, 750,000 tons of cargo, and 380,000 aircraft movements per year, which could include wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8.

Officials of the Philippine Consulate General in Xiamen (Xiamen PCG) and the XXIA inspect a model of the airport complex, and watch a video on its history and ongoing works. From left: XXIA Director for Industrial Investment Promotion Department Zhixian Xu, Xiamen PCG Property Officer Carol Coronel, Xiamen PCG ATN Officer Albe Rey Mateo, Consul Charleson Hermosura, XXIA Deputy General Manager & Chief Engineer Hongbin Ge, Xiamen PCG Interpreter/Translator Fubin Aaron Huang, Consul General Winston Dean Almeda, and XXIA General Office Deputy Director Yongsheng Lin.

Style and sustainability were some of the important considerations in the construction of the airport. The exterior and other interior elements incorporate the southern Fujian architectural styles of Dacuo, marked by traditional palatial structures, and Jiageng, which was used in building structures in Xiamen’s universities. The XXIA Terminal 1’s ceiling prominently features wooden planks stylized to look like sea waves and oars of dragonboats. The commercial and dining area portrays a typical Xiamen fishing village on one side and World Heritage Site Gulangyu Island’s colonial houses on the other. With solar panels atop 56,000 sqm. of concourse roof envisioned to supply 13 million kWh annually, XXIA will be a “zero-carbon” airport that will make it China’s largest airport photovoltaic system on the terminal’s roofs.

perspective of the Xiamen Xiang’an International Airport and surrounding buildings (Photo credit: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/myFBbgD5vEuYRVZIoEY13Ql).

two other prominent structures within Xiang’an District: the Xiamen International Expo Center on the foreground and, on the upper right hand side, the Xiamen Olympic Stadium a.k.a. Xiamen Egret Stadium. The former will host international expos, conferences, exhibits, and athletic events starting this year, while the latter has been the venue of several athletics events (Photo credit: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/yF4_iGPA3brM6hkd_7wy8g..

The XXIA is located in Xiang’an District, which is also the site of the Xiamen International Expo Center, an upcoming venue of international exhibits and fairs, as well as the Xiamen Olympic Sports Center a.k.a. Xiamen Egret Stadium, where the 2027 Asian Athletics Championships will be held. The visit will guide the Philippine Consulate General in Xiamen in its work, especially in economic diplomacy and Assistance-to-Nationals. END