No confirmed Subway outlet in Xi'an T3, despite some maps
Some online listings mention a Subway in Xi'an Xianyang International Airport Terminal 3, but recent XIY food guides and Chinese-language directories do not show it in T3 at all. If you only have 45 minutes between flights in T3, plan as if there is no working Subway counter and rely on visible options near your gate instead.
Terminal 3 at XIY handles most international flights plus several major domestic carriers, and airport guides from 2023 list Chinese fast food, noodles, and bakeries but zero Western sandwich chains by name. If you see an old terminal map or aggregator app placing a Subway icon in T3, treat it as outdated; airports in China reshuffle concessions every few years.
Sandwich chains that do operate in some Chinese airports usually price a 6-inch style sandwich around 45–65 RMB, more for set meals. If you were budgeting on that range for Subway in XIY T3, assume you will instead be paying a similar or slightly higher price for local brands or hot dishes like noodles or fried rice from other outlets in the same terminal.
XIY has three terminals in current use: T2, T3, and T5. T3 is the main one, but landside and airside food offerings differ a lot between terminals, and none of the main airport food guides place a confirmed Subway in any of them. If you spot a Subway logo on a boarding pass insert or airline leaflet, it likely predates the opening of T5 or earlier concession changes.
Practical tip: before you aim for "Subway in T3," walk the nearest food zone within 5–10 gates of your departure gate and pick from what you can physically see; treat any digital mention of Subway at XIY as unverified.