Shanghai: Hongqiao International and Pudong International Airports
Hongqiao International and Pudong International are Shanghai’s two international airports. Pudong is the primary international airport, and a major Asian hub; Hongqiao serves mainly domestic flights.
I decided to write about them together and deviate a bit from my “usual” writing style since accurate data for those airports was scarce and excruciatingly hard to find.
All the info in their website is written in Chinese only! With only a few telephone numbers and a couple of English words on their website there was not enough data for each airport to justify a separate article – and no, online translators were no help either!
Why such huge international airports have no English version is beyond me. Having seen hundreds of airport websites from all around the world, I can confidently say that Shanghai’s airports website has one of the worst online presences worldwide, making a very poor impression to anyone who does not speak Chinese – and I had to browse the whole website in Chinese before writing these lines!
Location
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is located in Changning District, 13 km (8 miles) west of downtown Shanghai.
An online map centred on Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport can be found here:
Google Maps: Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
Shanghai Pudong International Airport is located about 30 km (19 miles) east of the city centre.
An online map with Shanghai Pudong International Airport’s location pinned on it can be found here:
Google Maps: Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Contact details
The only decipherable contact information for Hongqiao International and Pudong International were the following phone numbers:
Hotline: 021-96990
021-68347575
021-32531090
WARNING! We have no idea where the second and third numbers connect to since the names besides them were in Chinese!
Though it is reasonable to assume they are the airports’ information lines since there was a picture of a smiling Chinese lady talking on the telephone next to them, you’ll never know unless you try!
Official website: http://www.shairport.com/
Please note that both airports share the same website and that it is only available in Chinese. Click on the “English” link on their website and all you get is a pop-up box with the legend “English site will be available soon !” (sic) and an “OK” button to close the box.
Facilities for disabled people
Well, the joke’s on us, folks!
Even if there is any info about any facilities for disabled people and services for passengers with special needs – guess what? – it’s in Chinese.
I searched their website for little wheelchair icons and the Chinese word for disabled ( 残疾人), but found only one or two for disabled toilets and lifts on their terminal floor plans. Otherwise, we can’t offer any insights on their accessibility facilities. Sorry about that!
So, even if you can read and write Chinese, please contact your airline or travel agency before arranging a trip through Shanghai’s Hongqiao International and Pudong International Airports if you require wheelchair services or any other special assistance, otherwise you might be in trouble! (For instance, check this page out: http://www.shairport.com/chn201104291220160/!)
Hotels in Shanghai
CanDoCanGo (CAN!) is affiliated with Booking.com, one of the best known names in the online hotel reservations business. Cut down on your searching time by going straight to our pages of hotels near Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao International Airport with facilities for disabled guests.
There are many hotels available which have specially adapted facilities and rooms for disabled guests. (The information is included in the “Hotel Facilities” section of each individual hotel.) Using Booking.com’s user-friendly search box also enables you to specify a host of other options, such as your preferred chain, hotels of a particular character or style, and even what distance from the airport you require.