It was also where the Republic of China Air Force Polikarpov I-15 fighters of the 5th Pursuit Group were based to defend the Chengdu area against Imperial Japanese bomber raids; this following the Chinese retreat from Wuhan to Chungking (now Chongqing) as the new provisional capital in aftermath of the Battle of Wuhan against the Imperial Japanese onslaught.

[4][5][6][7] When the United States was shocked into World War II with the Pearl Harbor attack, the airport became known as "Shwangliu Airfield" as it was later used by the United States Army Air Forces Fourteenth Air Force as part of the China Defensive Campaign (1942–1945).

It was used as a fighter base by the 33d Fighter Group, which flew P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers from the airport in 1944 to support Chinese ground forces, and also by reconnaissance units that operated camera-equipped P-38 Lightnings that located Japanese forces and provided intelligence to the fighter-bombers.

The flight courses from Chengdu were thus opened to various cities within China including Beijing, Taiyuan, Xi'an, Chongqing, Kunming, Guiyang, and Nanchong.

The runway was extended to 3,600 metres (11,811 ft) with Class 4E rating, allowing for larger jumbo jets including the Boeing 747-400.

The newly built terminal building was incorporated with a three-parallel-porch design, accommodating an hourly capacity of 3,500 passengers during rush hours, while the previous terminal building was only designated for regional flights within Sichuan and Chongqing.

Media related to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at Wikimedia Commons This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency