Guangdong’s two major metropolises, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, have lofty plans for their cities’ airports.
Air Transport World reported that Guangzhou Baiyun Airport and Shenzhen Bao’an Airport want to expand their operations, and improve their ranking among the world’s top airports.
After the completion of Baiyun Airport’s second terminal in 2018, airport authorities are directing their attention to a third terminal, according to ATW. In a request for proposal to begin planning their latest expansion phase, the scope of the project includes building a new terminal and linking all three airport terminals with a mass rapid rail system. Plans for Baiyun Airport’s third terminal would bring a handling capacity of 35 million passengers annually – which could bring the airport’s total handling capacity to 120 million passengers yearly by 2030.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. Image via Wikimedia
As for Shenzhen, Bao’an Airport aims to bring in more international passengers, with the goal of dropping their ratio of international to regional passengers from 1:10 to 1:4 by 2035. A satellite terminal project is also in the works, which would span 235,000 square meters with a handling capacity of 22 million passengers. In April, the airport announced that they had been given approval to build a third runway, which is expected to service an extra 20 million passengers annually. Given Shenzhen’s proximity to Hong Kong International Airport, airport authorities are working with the Chinese military to free up low-level airspace in the area, which would alleviate airspace congestion between the two cities.
Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport. Image via Wikimedia
Guangzhou Baiyun Airport handles 60.8 million passengers annually, and is the hub for China Southern Airlines, China’s largest airline. Shenzhen Bao’an Airport handles 44 million passengers yearly, and is growing at a rate of 7.2%.
However, the two southern airports still have a long way to go to catch up to Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport, which handled 74,006,331 and 100,983,290 passengers, respectively, in 2018.
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[Cover image via Unsplash]
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