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DLUZPDL

Dali Airport

Dali, CN

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Dali Fengyi Airport

Dali, China · Asia-Pacific

A single domestic hall in Fengyi that already outgrew its 2.2 million design, with a real airport bus and a landside lounge, while T3 stays a construction site until at least 2028.

Airportist Score

6.2/ 10

Mixed

Ease of use6.8
Comfort & amenities6.2
Food & retail5.4
Ground access6.6
Reliability6.2
Lounges5.6

How the score works

An editorial 0–10 score. The overall is exactly the weighted sum of six traveler categories — not a Google rating and not a poll.

25%Ease of use — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
20%Comfort & amenities — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
15%Food & retail — Food and retail quality and variety.
15%Ground access — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
15%Reliability — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
10%Lounges — Worth-it density and access quality.

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Flying from Dali?

Enter your flight for a door-to-door plan: when to leave, security, the lounge you can use and your gate. No account needed.

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Dali Fengyi Airport

Dali, China · Asia-Pacific

A single domestic hall in Fengyi that already outgrew its 2.2 million design, with a real airport bus and a landside lounge, while T3 stays a construction site until at least 2028.

Airportist Score

6.2/ 10

Mixed

Ease of use6.8
Comfort & amenities6.2
Food & retail5.4
Ground access6.6
Reliability6.2
Lounges5.6

How the score works

An editorial 0–10 score. The overall is exactly the weighted sum of six traveler categories — not a Google rating and not a poll.

25%Ease of use — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
20%Comfort & amenities — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
15%Food & retail — Food and retail quality and variety.
15%Ground access — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
15%Reliability — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
10%Lounges — Worth-it density and access quality.

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Arrive
90 min
before departure
Typical security
10 min
editorial average, not live
Fastest to city
About 30 min toward Xiaguan; longer to the old town
Didi
Cheapest to city
Airport bus
CNY 15 to Dali Station or Dali Port; CNY 25 to the old-town terminal · About 40 min to Xiaguan, about 90 min to the old town
Lounge
1
Terminals
1
passenger terminal

The lounge at DLU
DLU security wait times

6 photos

DLUGuide

Most important tips

Know before you go

A compact traveler cheat sheet for timing, terminals, food, and disruption checks.

Timing

Leave the old town early

The airport bus from the old-town city terminal is scheduled at about 90 minutes, and phase-3 roadworks can add more.

Check-in on the airport's own pledge only opens 90 minutes before departure and closes 30 minutes before, so a late bus is how people miss this flight.

One hall

Check in downstairs, wait upstairs

Domestic check-in and security are on level 1; the departure hold, food, and shops are on level 2.

There is no second live terminal. T3, the runway extension, and the extra stands are a construction site, not a place you can use.

Food

Eat before you rely on the hall

Level 2 has the food and shops, but this is a small domestic hall, not a place to plan a meal.

The only verified lounge is landside, before security, and Priority Pass lists soft drinks rather than a hot buffet.

Live checks

Treat 2025 international charters as closed unless a tour operator confirms one

The summer 2026 schedule announcement, in force through 24 October 2026, describes a domestic network and does not list those charters.

Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hong Kong flew in early 2025 as tour-group charters only. They were never ordinary retail tickets.

Live conditions

Right now at DLU

Security waits and operational status from official feeds, where the airport publishes them.

Honest verdict

Who this airport works for

Best for

Domestic trips to Dali old town when you budget the bus ride
A short, simple terminal if you are not connecting

Watch out for

The live hall is past its design volume on peak holidays
No train to the terminal, and the old-town bus is about 90 minutes
2025 international charters were tour-group only and are not on the summer 2026 schedule announcement

Airportist Score

Why this score

Overall is the published weighted sum of six categories. No holistic fudge on top.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

6.8

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

6.2

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

5.4

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

6.6

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

6.2

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

5.6

Key stats

Editorial reference figures, not live readings.

Annual passengers

3,750,473 (2025)

Terminals

1 passenger terminal

Typical security

10 min

Guide quick facts

From the editorial guide for DLU.

Updated Sep 23, 2026

CAAC counted 3,750,473 passengers, 32,227 movements, and 11,798.0 tonnes of cargo in 2025.
One live passenger terminal, about 20,700 m², built for 2.2 million passengers a year — 2025 traffic was already well past that.
T3 is not open. Yunnan Net reported on 31 July 2026 that pile tests were finished and the target opening is the end of 2028.
Runway is still 2,600 m × 45 m. The approved project lengthens it 300 m to 2,900 m only when phase 3 opens.
Check-in on the published pledge opens 90 minutes before departure and closes 30 minutes before.
No metro and no airport railway. The April 2026 airport-bus notice is CNY 15 to Dali Station and CNY 25 to the old-town city terminal.

9 official sources

https://www.caac.gov.cn/XXGK/XXGK/TJSJ/202602/P020260226360830390937.xlsx
https://www.yn.gov.cn/ztgg/zxylcyfzqy/zdxmjsp/sgybxmpf/202302/t20230203_254526.html
https://yn.yunnan.cn/system/2026/07/31/034104663.shtml
https://jtyst.yn.gov.cn/html/2025/xingyexinwen_1201/3135751.html
https://www.ynairport.com/cndali/index.jhtml
https://dl.ynairport.com/
https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/china/dali/dlu1-best-business-vip-lounge
https://www.dragonpass.com.cn/airport/DLU/l160/
https://www.caac.gov.cn/XWZX/MHYW/202506/t20250626_227805.html

Full guide

Explore the DLU guide

Each section answers one trip question in depth.

Map
Dali Airport and the Dali city center
City center
View Map
Getting There
4 ways into the city, compared on time, cost, and luggage.
Fastest: DidiCheapest: Airport bus
View Getting There
Lounges
1 lounge with access rules, hours, and verdicts.
Best Business VIP Lounge
View Lounges
Traveler Tips
If you are staying in Dali old town, take the airport bus from the Fenghua Xueyue (风花雪月) city terminal and treat 90 minutes as the scheduled ride, not a guarantee. The 13 April 2026 notice, citing the airport's WeChat account, says phase-3 roadworks can clog the route. Leave closer to two hours before you need to be at check-in.
11 tips & hacks
View Traveler Tips
Amenities
4 rated amenities — food, Wi-Fi, quiet spots, family, and sleep.
Airport bus
View Amenities
Water
Refill points and bottle prices.
View Water
Reviews
Editorial and traveler reviews — what people actually complain about.
View Reviews

Dali Airport and the Dali city center

This airport DLU
City center Dali

Terminal navigation guide

Terminal-change and gate-area notes pulled from the markdown guide.

From Terminals & Navigation

One building, two public levels, joined to a ground-transport area. Level 1 is domestic check-in, security, a food rest area, and domestic bag claim. Level 2 is the departure hold, with food and shops. Arrivals and departures are not in separate terminals.
China Southern places the airport bus outside arrivals doors 2 and 3, and taxis to the right of door 1. The April 2026 bus notice still uses the arrivals hall as the pickup, with a counter inside and a Dali tourism desk just outside.
There is no airside train, no satellite, and no published gate map with a gate count. Stands are a mix of contact and remote; do not assume a jet bridge.
T3 is a construction site on the same airport, targeted for the end of 2028. Follow the signs for the current terminal. The runway extension to 2,900 m is part of that same project and is not in use.
The airport's inquiry phones on the service pledge are 0872-2428915 and 0872-2428921. The bus notice lists 4009001558. Retail complaints on the pledge are 12315 and 0872-2428947.

Ground transport guide

City-transfer, rideshare, train, and parking guidance from the markdown guide.

From Ground Transport & Parking

No metro. No airport rail. No airport hotel on the operator's pages. The high-speed and conventional trains use Dali Station in the city, which the airport bus stops at.
Airport bus, per the 13 April 2026 今日大理 report of an airport WeChat notice: old-town Fenghua Xueyue city terminal to the airport CNY 25, about 90 minutes, departures 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, and 18:00, via Dali Port. Dali Port to the airport CNY 15, about 40 minutes, with extra departures at 07:40, 08:40, 09:30, 10:40, 12:40, 14:40, and 16:40. From the airport, CNY 15 to Dali Station and CNY 25 to the old-town terminal, running with the flights rather than on that daytime clock. Both city terminals are listed as 07:00–18:00.
Taxi: arrivals door 1, to the right. Fare is not on the airport charge sheet. Agree the trip in Didi if you want a price before you sit down.
Parking: China Southern describes about 220 spaces near the airport police station, southeast of the terminal. The January 2026 Yunnan Airport Group charge catalogue for Dali puts car-park fees at the government-guidance price posted at the lot. The hourly rate is not in that PDF. First-come, and the phase-3 works can slow the access road.
Self-drive time to the city center is described on the China Southern page as about 30 minutes. That is Xiaguan, not the ancient town.

Ride to Dali

Pickup at DLU. Where the app supports it, dropoff is set to Dali city center for a live price.

To city center

Dali

~7.2 km

Typical fare

See app

Live quotes open in the ride app

Fixed-price transfers

GetTransfer quotes Kiwitaxi quotes

Compare prepaid private transfers to Dali — useful overnight, with luggage, or when you want a locked-in fare before you land.

Cheapest

Airport bus

Arrivals-hall bus to Dali Station and the old-town city terminal, and the reverse from two city desks.

Time to city

About 40 min to Xiaguan, about 90 min to the old town

Cost

CNY 15 to Dali Station or Dali Port; CNY 25 to the old-town terminal

Tip: City desks run 07:00–18:00. The airport end follows the flights. Roadworks can stretch the old-town leg.

FastestBest for luggage

Didi

The ride-hailing app that operates in mainland China. Uber does not.

Time to city

About 30 min toward Xiaguan; longer to the old town

Cost

In-app quote; no official airport flat fare

Tip: Confirm the pin is Fengyi / Dali Fengyi Airport, not Dali Station.

Airport taxi

Signed queue to the right of arrivals door 1.

Time to city

About 30 min toward the city center

Cost

Not printed in the airport charge catalogue

Tip: Use Didi if you want a price before the car moves.

Terminal parking

About 220 spaces near the airport police post, government-guidance price posted at the lot.

Time to city

On site

Cost

Posted at the lot; hourly rate is not in the 2026 charge PDF

Tip: Phase-3 works can slow the access road. Do not budget a blog rate.

Check your lounge access at DLU

Sign in, save your cards, airline status, and lounge programs once, and we'll check them against every lounge.

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Depends

Best Business VIP Lounge

Passenger terminallandside, before security

A landside CIP room. Worth it only when level 1 is packed — you still clear security afterwards, the cap is two hours, and lounge Wi-Fi is paid.

Access: Priority Pass · DragonPass

Hours: 2 hours before the first flight until the last flight

Amenities: Soft drinks · Flight information · Air conditioning · Paid Wi-Fi

Best for: A wait before security on a crowded departure

Full access guide

Lounge & amenity notes

Lounge, food, and quiet-spot picks pulled from the markdown guide.

From Lounges, Food & Amenities

The verified lounge is Best Business VIP Lounge (云南空港百事特商务贵宾厅), landside, before security and before passport control. Priority Pass lists it as dlu1: from 2 hours before the first flight until the last flight, maximum stay 2 hours, children under 2 free, no smoking, no dress code, soft drinks, flight screens, and paid Wi-Fi. DragonPass's DLU page sends you to the same Best reception — face the terminal doors, turn left, show the pass at the Best desk, then follow staff to the DragonPass room. No DragonPass A-code is printed on that page. Showers are not listed.
Priority Pass also prints "unlimited guests". That reads like a template line. Confirm the guest rule in the app before you bring people.
Do not expect a hot buffet. The published facility list is soft drinks and the usual quiet-room basics. Verdict: depends. On a normal off-peak domestic departure the level-2 hold is enough, and you still have to clear security after the lounge.
A separate airline "two-cabin" room is mentioned on China Southern's Dali airport blurb, on level 1. Hours, access, and whether it is still a distinct room were not on a current airline lounge page, so it is not listed as a second lounge you can count on.
Food and shops are on level 2, plus a rest area on level 1. No restaurant list is published on the operator pledge, so no specific kitchen is recommended here. The pledge says prices must be marked and that ordinary retail goods can be returned within 30 days if they are resaleable.
Public Wi-Fi SSID is not published. Do not assume the lounge password works in the hold.
Drinking water is named in the airport's passenger-service fee description, but there is no map of fountains and no published bottle price. Buy water upstairs if you need a sealed bottle; refill points are not documented well enough to pin one down.

good

Airport bus

Easy Transport

CNY 15 to Dali Station and CNY 25 to the old-town city terminal, per the April 2026 notice.

basic

Best VIP lounge

Has Lounge

Landside, before security. Priority Pass and DragonPass. Paid Wi-Fi, no listed showers.

basic

Level-2 shops

Food

Food and retail sit in the departure hold. No published restaurant list and no mapped bottle price.

good

Priority security lane

Accessibility

The service pledge offers priority screening for older passengers, families with infants, and late arrivals.

Editorial guide tricks

The markdown guide's highest-signal tactics before the data-backed tips below.

From Best Airport Tricks & Hacks

If you are staying in Dali old town, take the airport bus from the Fenghua Xueyue (风花雪月) city terminal and treat 90 minutes as the scheduled ride, not a guarantee. The 13 April 2026 notice, citing the airport's WeChat account, says phase-3 roadworks can clog the route. Leave closer to two hours before you need to be at check-in.
From Xiaguan / the lower city, the same notice puts the bus at the Dali Port (大理港) city terminal: CNY 15 and about 40 minutes, with listed departures from 07:00 to 16:40. That is the shorter of the two bus rides.
Inbound, the bus starts at the arrivals hall and runs from the first landing until the last flight, via Dali Station (CNY 15) and on to the old-town east-gate city terminal (CNY 25). Use Dali Station if you are connecting to a train. The station is not at the airport.
Didi is the ride-hailing app that works in mainland China. Uber does not. There is no published airport flat fare; confirm the quote in the app. Taxis are signed to the right of arrivals door 1. Do not expect a meter receipt to match a blog's "CNY 150".
The Best lounge is before security. Use it only if the level-1 hall is miserable. You still walk out and join the security queue, the stay cap is 2 hours, and Priority Pass says lounge Wi-Fi is paid.
Do not buy a "Dali to Kuala Lumpur / Hanoi / Singapore / Bangkok / Ho Chi Minh City / Hong Kong" ticket from an old 2025 article. Those were temporary-port charters sold through tour operators, not retail seats. The summer 2026 schedule announcement does not list them.
The city-centers pin sits closer to the field than "Dali" feels. Road distance quoted by the operator's older guides is about 13 km to the city, and the old town is a longer ride than Xiaguan. Do not plan a 10-minute taxi from the ancient town.

01

TransportTraveler Tips & Hacks

Old town is a 90-minute bus, not a short hop

The April 2026 airport-bus notice schedules about 90 minutes from the Fenghua Xueyue city terminal and about 40 minutes from Dali Port in Xiaguan.

Phase-3 roadworks are called out on that notice. Check-in opens 90 minutes before departure, so a delayed old-town bus is the usual way to miss the flight.

Pro

CNY 25 and CNY 15 are the published bus fares on that notice.

Watch-out

There is no metro and no airport railway.

02

SecurityTraveler Tips & Hacks

CCC power banks, cabin only

Since 28 June 2025, domestic flights refuse power banks with no CCC mark, an unclear mark, or a recalled batch.

Packs stay in the cabin, never in checked bags. Up to 100 Wh needs no approval; 100–160 Wh needs the airline's approval; over 160 Wh is banned. Do not charge from a power bank in flight.

03

NavigationTraveler Tips & Hacks

Ignore T3 until 2028

The live building is the current terminal. T3 pile tests were only just finished in July 2026.

The approved project adds a 34,000 m² T3 and lengthens the 2,600 m runway to 2,900 m. Yunnan Net's 31 July 2026 report put opening at the end of 2028.

04

LoungeTraveler Tips & Hacks

The lounge is before security

Best Business VIP is landside. You still queue for screening after a maximum two-hour stay.

Priority Pass dlu1 lists soft drinks and paid Wi-Fi. DragonPass uses the same Best reception. Showers are not listed.

Watch-out

On a quiet departure the level-2 hold is enough.

Lounges, Food & Amenities

Hydration notes pulled from the editorial guide.

From Lounges, Food & Amenities

Drinking water is named in the airport's passenger-service fee description, but there is no map of fountains and no published bottle price. Buy water upstairs if you need a sealed bottle; refill points are not documented well enough to pin one down.

Entry requirements

China (CN)

Sign in and add a passport to see the entry requirement for China.

Passports are saved in profile settings. Check the official site before you travel.

Disruptions

No current alerts on file

No editorial alerts are on file for this airport. We do not invent them.

Editorial file dated Sep 23, 2026. Typical delay percentages are omitted — they are not live news.

Live operations

Live operational signals from Flighty or FAA, plus checkpoint waits where airports publish them.

Traveler reviews

What travelers say

Write a review

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