Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport — Local services in Ürümqi

Airport has military base vibes - not friendly, no music, everything closes during the night, and even the lights are turned off. If you have a transfer during night time, you will die out of hunger. One of the few international airports in the world where staff don’t know even a little bit of English. I am lucky i know a bit of Chinese, it saves me, but what about regular tourists, who are just traveling. Most of the time, staff is not helpful, talks with an attitude as if you’re bothering them, and they make no effort to assist or understand you.

Infrastructure is extremely poor. There’s no official luggage storage - only a corner at the reception of a capsule hotel, and even that doesn’t feel safe. Anyone could potentially grab your bag, and staff clearly isn’t excited to keep it for you. The duty-free is dull and empty - no variety, no atmosphere, nothing interesting to look at or buy.

There’s no Wi-Fi available, which is ridiculous for an international airport. The interior is depressing - cold lighting, minimal decoration, and a generally unwelcoming, soulless vibe. No comfort zones, no peaceful rest areas, and definitely nothing pleasant about spending time there.

Smokers beware: they confiscate lighters at the very entrance to the airport - not even at the security check. So if you step out to smoke during a long layover, you won’t even have a way to light your cigarette afterward. Just one more small, annoying detail in a long list of passenger-unfriendly rules.

The security check itself is dehumanizing. I’ve gone through it multiple times and every time it feels like they’re giving you a full-body massage - except no one’s enjoying it. Zero privacy, too many people watching, and extremely thorough to the point of discomfort.

Atmosphere is cold and hostile. I’ve been through this airport at least five times, and each time my layover experience was unpleasant and stressful. During one of my 20-hour layovers, I approached the China Southern Airlines transfer desk to get assistance with the free hotel stay that was shown as available in their official app - only to be told bluntly by the woman at the counter that no hotel was provided, without explanation or even an attempt to help.

For comparison, I’ve transited through airports like Hangzhou and Nanjing - and they were much better. Staff was more welcoming, the atmosphere felt more relaxed, and most importantly, the security checks weren’t so absurdly strict and dehumanizing.

Honestly, it’s hard to believe this is supposed to be an international hub. Avoid layovers in Urumqi if you can. It’s one of the least passenger-friendly airports I’ve ever...

I recently visited this URC Airport , and I am extremely disappointed with the behaviour of the security staff. They confiscated my brand-new Xiaomi power bank, which I had just purchased in Beijing, citing CCC (China Compulsory Certification) rules. However, when I flew out from Beijing Daxing Airport, security allowed the same power bank without any issues.

When I questioned them, they had no valid explanation. I noticed numerous power banks on their table, suggesting this is a recurring issue. Even after I warned them that I would file a complaint with senior authorities, they dismissively replied, "You can complain, but nothing will happen."

This raises serious concerns: Are confiscated power banks being misused or sold instead of properly disposed of? Many other passengers were also upset, indicating a pattern of unfair treatment. Such behavior discourages foreign visitors and harms the reputation of the province.

This situation reflects poorly on the airport’s security management. If the staff are enforcing rules inconsistently, it suggests either poor training, negligence, or possible misconduct by the security team (or...

Arrive early as you have to go through extensive and intensive luggage checks. My advice is to put all, and I mean all, electronics in a separate bag for easier checking at the security, otherwise they would ransack your checked and hand carry luggage at different points. They are very thorough. Having said that, the security staff are polite and patient even with long queue of annoyed passengers. Body search is a real body check, by touching different parts of your body with their hands. Once inside the international departures, there aren't many shops with a Burgers King (also selling noodles!), it has very slow and inefficient service. Once the kitchen brings out the food at the counter, everyone goes for it. You have to organize among yourselves as the staff does not help and does not know...