Nanjing is served by Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG), a major airport in Eastern China and the capital of Jiangsu Province. It serves as an important domestic and international hub for the Yangtze River Delta region, offering extensive connectivity into NKG as a key alternative to Shanghai's airports for arrivals in Nanjing.
The most frequent and affordable flights to Nanjing are domestic routes from major Chinese cities into NKG. Key departure points to Nanjing include Beijing (PEK/PKX), Guangzhou (CAN), Shenzhen (SZX), Chengdu (TFU), and Xi'an (XIY) to NKG. Internationally, NKG has developed a strong network with direct flights to Nanjing from major hubs in Europe like Frankfurt (FRA) and Helsinki (HEL), North America (Los Angeles LAX, Vancouver YVR), and across Asia, including Singapore (SIN), Tokyo (NRT), and Seoul (ICN) to NKG.
The market into Nanjing is competitive and features a strong base for several airlines. China Eastern Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines have significant operations at NKG for arrivals. Air China and China Southern also operate major routes to Nanjing. Low-cost carrier Spring Airlines is a major player into NKG, offering very competitive fares on many domestic and regional routes to Nanjing. International airlines like Lufthansa, Finnair, and Singapore Airlines serve their hubs to Nanjing from NKG.
To secure cheap flights to Nanjing, book domestic arrivals into NKG 3-6 weeks in advance. For international travel to Nanjing, especially long-haul routes, start searching 2-5 months ahead for flights to NKG. Utilize Nanjing's role as a Shanghai alternative—fares into NKG can be significantly cheaper than into PVG/SHA, and the high-speed rail link from Shanghai to Nanjing adds flexibility for reaching the city from other entry points. Flying into NKG mid-week typically offers lower fares to Nanjing. For domestic arrivals into NKG, Spring Airlines often provides the lowest base fares, but always compare total costs with full-service carriers for flights to Nanjing.