Xi'an airport IS in the middle of nowhere. Even by Chinese standards, it's located quite far from the city. Here's a hint for travelers with limited time: Assuming a flight arrival early enough in the day, it's often more time-effective to go directly from the Airport to the Warriors by the "back roads" rather than first go into the city. Then after the Warriors and anything else you want to see in that general area, head to town. Or on the reverse...for an evening flight out...see the Warriors in the afternoon then head directly to the airport. This assumes you have some sort of car transport that can hold your luggage while sightseeing.