Kunming Airport

Construction starts next month on Kunming expansion. The expansion project at Kunming Airport will make it China's fourth largest

Construction will begin next month on the US$3.06 billion (Yuan 23 billion) project to extend Kunming airport following eight months of experimental base construction. Located at Hunshuitang in China’s Yunnan Province, the extended airport will cover an area of 160km², have four runways and 108 aprons.

The first phase will include construction of a 390,000m² terminal shaped like a swallow with full spread wings. Departure and arrival halls will be just beneath each swallow wing, while boarding gates and bridges will be located underneath the swallow’s body and tail.

Two new runways will also be added in the first phase of construction, which is due to be completed in 2009, boosting airport capacity to 25 million passengers and 600,000 tonnes of cargo per year by 2015.

By 2035 the airport will be able to handle 63 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo per year.

When the expansion is complete Kunming Airport will become the fourth largest airport in China, after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and will become the most important aviation hub in western China.