Economic Observer reporter Zhang Xiaohui

On August 29, 2026, the Chongqing Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision announced that Dai Ke, the former first level specialist of Chongqing Airport Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Chongqing Airport Group"), was suspected of serious violations of discipline and law and is currently undergoing disciplinary review and supervision investigation by the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision.

Dai Ke was born in September 1965 and became the chairman of Chongqing Airport Group in February 2022. He will no longer serve as chairman in October 2024 and will be appointed as a first level specialist, which refers to the job level. The first level specialist corresponds to the top leader of state-owned enterprises in Chongqing, at the level of chairman and general manager; The second level specialized tasks correspond to the levels of deputy general manager, chief engineer, and chief accountant of state-owned enterprises in Chongqing.

Dai Ke is the second former chairman of Chongqing Airport Group to fall from power. On April 1, 2026, the Chongqing Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision announced that Zhao Jiangping, former chairman of Chongqing Airport, was suspected of violating laws and regulations and was under investigation. Chongqing Airport Group is a key state-owned enterprise under the jurisdiction of Chongqing Municipal State owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

According to public information, in addition to the two individuals mentioned above, six former executives at the vice president level of Chongqing Airport Group have been arrested since February 2025.

Either of the two hands fell off the horse

Zhao Jiangping was once the superior leader of Dai Ke. In November 2003, the Civil Aviation Administration of Chongqing was abolished and restructured into Chongqing Airport Group. Zhao Jiangping, former director of Chongqing Civil Aviation Administration, was appointed as the first chairman and general manager of Chongqing Airport Group until his resignation in October 2016.

During Zhao Jiangping's tenure as the top leader, Dai Ke was appointed as a member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of Chongqing Airport Group in April 2004, until Zhao Jiangping stepped down as Chairman and General Manager in October 2016. Dai Ke succeeded Zhao Jiangping as General Manager, and at that time, Tan Pingchuan was appointed as the Chairman of Chongqing Airport Group.

A retired employee of Chongqing Airport Group revealed to the Economic Observer that both Zhao Jiangping and Dai Ke have worked with him for many years. Zhao Jiangping once worked in the airport telephone team, responsible for climbing poles to repair telephone lines, which was a very difficult job. In the 1980s, there were 21 pairs of overhead telephone lines between Baishiyi Airport (located in Baishiyi Town, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing) and Chongqing city, which were often disconnected due to wind and other reasons. Young Zhao Jiangping is honest and hardworking, not afraid of hardship, and has gained recognition from superiors, gradually being promoted up. Later, Zhao Jiangping became the first chairman of Chongqing Airport Group.

The retired employee continued to report to the Economic Observer that Dai Ke was transferred from Southwest Normal University (later renamed Southwest Normal University, now Southwest University) with a major in physics. In 1997, Dai Ke was transferred to the expansion command center of Chongqing Jiangbei Airport as the deputy commander, and later served as the commander until he became the general manager in 2016, responsible for the work of the airport expansion command center.

Public information shows that Zhao Jiangping is an old civil aviation professional who has been working in the civil aviation system for a long time. During Zhao Jiangping's tenure, Chongqing Airport completed the expansion of the second runway, T2 terminal, and east terminal area; Chongqing Airport gradually has the ability to fly directly to Europe, Australia, and the Americas. The group's assets have increased from 500 million yuan to 3 billion yuan, and its throughput has entered the top ten in the country.

According to the official account of Chongqing Airport Group, on June 2, 2015, Zhao Jiangping, who was born in the 1950s, resigned from his post at the age of 50, and was replaced by Tan Pingchuan. The legal representative of Chongqing Airport Group was changed to Tan Pingchuan on June 9 of the same year. One year later, Tan Pingchuan succeeded as the Party Secretary and Chairman of Chongqing Airport Group, while Zhao Jiangping completely withdrew.

Dai Ke was appointed as the General Manager of Chongqing Airport Group in October 2016 and only became the leader in February 2022, serving as both Chairman and General Manager. When Dai Ke was announced for investigation by the Chongqing Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision, he had already retired.

The Economic Observer reporter collected and organized public information, and the two served throughout the expansion project of Chongqing Airport.

The expansion project of Chongqing Jiangbei Airport has a huge investment volume. The total investment for the second phase expansion (2001-2005) was 1.61 billion yuan, and a 70000 square meter T2B terminal was built, increasing the annual passenger throughput capacity to 7 million people; The third phase expansion (2008-2010) invested 3.458 billion yuan to build the T2A terminal and a 3600 meter second runway, ushering the airport into the era of dual runways; The total investment for the fourth phase expansion plan is about 21.6 billion yuan, which includes the construction of the fourth runway, T3B terminal and other projects. After planning adjustments, the relevant content was incorporated into the fifth phase project; The total investment for the fifth phase expansion is about 22.5 billion yuan. Construction began in November 2020, and the fourth runway will be put into use by the end of 2024. By 2025, the T3B terminal has been completed and put into operation, with an annual passenger throughput of 80 million.

Six vice presidents were arrested

From February 2025 to present, six former vice general manager level executives of Chongqing Airport Group have been arrested. According to the official announcement, they are Jia Chaoxuan, Xiong Dezhi, Chen Shiqin, Li Guangcai, Pei Mingxue, and Zhang Mingjin.

Jia Chaoxuan, former deputy general manager of Chongqing Airport Group, was in charge of engineering lines and later served as a second level specialist. He was arrested on February 19, 2025 and has been expelled from the party and public office and transferred to the judiciary; In September 2025, the Chongqing Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision issued a notice to Jia Chaoxuan, which stated that he was "corrupt and decadent, engaged in the transfer of benefits, took advantage of his position to seek profits for others in engineering contracting, enterprise operation, and illegally accepted huge amounts of money and property

Xiong Dezhi, member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of Chongqing Airport Group (under investigation while in office), was arrested on February 19, 2025 and has been transferred to the judiciary by Shuangkai; In September 2025, the Chongqing Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision issued a notice stating: "Xiong Dezhi violated regulations in employee recruitment work by seeking benefits for others and accepting property, did not truthfully explain problems when organizing inquiries; violated the bottom line of integrity and engaged in profit-making activities in violation of regulations; distorted his view of power, alienated public power into a tool for seeking personal gain, engaged in power money transactions, took advantage of his position to seek benefits for others in employee recruitment, enterprise management, and other aspects, and illegally accepted huge amounts of property

Chen Shiqin (female), former deputy general manager of Chongqing Airport Group, later appointed as a second level specialist, was investigated on July 9, 2025 and was in charge of operating finance.

Li Guangguang, former Deputy General Manager and Chief Financial Officer of Chongqing Airport Group, later appointed as a Second level Special Manager, responsible for long-term management of financial fund disbursement. Checked on July 9th, 2025.

Zhang Mingjin, former member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of Chongqing Airport Group, is in charge of engineering projects and equipment procurement. In September 2025, Zhang Mingjin was investigated; In June 2026, Zhang Mingjin was announced to have been released and transferred to the judiciary. The Chongqing Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision issued a notice: "After investigation, Zhang Mingjin lost his ideals and beliefs, abandoned his original mission, was disloyal and dishonest to the Party, did not implement the requirements of inspection and rectification, resisted organizational review; ignored the spirit of the Central Eight point Regulation, illegally accepted gifts, accepted banquets that may affect the fair execution of public affairs; illegally intervened and interfered in the contracting of engineering projects; was greedy and corrupt, took advantage of his position to seek benefits for others in engineering contracting, equipment sales, etc., and illegally accepted huge amounts of money

Pei Mingxue, former member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of Chongqing Airport Group, was expelled from the Party and transferred to the judiciary in April 2026, which is a case that occurred many years after his resignation. On April 28, 2026, the Chongqing Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision issued a notice stating: "After investigation, Pei Mingxue lost his ideals and beliefs, abandoned his original mission, ignored the spirit of the Central Eight point Regulation, and illegally accepted banquets and gifts; violated organizational principles by seeking benefits for others and accepting property in employee recruitment work; violated the bottom line of integrity, and after leaving the company, illegally took up positions in enterprises that had business relationships with his original employer for remuneration, and obtained large returns through private lending; his personal desires were inflated, and he took advantage of the convenience of his position or the convenient conditions formed by the original authority or status of former state employees who had close relationships with him to seek benefits for others in engineering project contracting, enterprise operation, and other aspects, and illegally accepted huge amounts of property

So far, Chongqing Airport Group has had two chairmen and six vice presidents removed from their positions. At the end of August 2026, a well-known criminal defense lawyer in Chongqing revealed to a reporter from the Economic Observer that two families of the fallen deputy general manager at Chongqing Airport sought legal assistance from him, and the two parties were accused of bribery. Subsequently, reporters from the Economic Observer will continue to follow up and report.

(Author Zhang Xiaohui)