China builds the largest artificial island airport in the world

China builds the largest artificial island airport in the world

China adds another superlative to its impressive list of traffic projects: the largest airport in the world on an artificial island. The Dalian Jinzhou Bay International Airport, which is currently under construction off the north-east Chinese coast, will finally take an area of 20 square kilometers (7.7 square miles) with four runways and a 900,000 square meter (969,000 square foot).

capacity and opening of the airport

The operators plan to handle 80 million passengers annually over 540,000 flights, with the first phase being planned for 2035. "The country's largest offshore airport slowly rises from the sea level like the sun in the east", is a contribution by Dalian Jinzhou Bay International on the Chinese social media platform Wechat.

The largest airport on an artificial island

After completion, the Dalian Jinzhoou Bay International Airport will surpass the Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and the Kansai Airport (KIX) in Japan and become the largest airport on an artificial island in the world.

challenges in construction

"There were major challenges in construction," explained Li Xiang, the chief engineer of the Dalian Airport Construction and Development Co., Ltd., to state media in October. "The project has complex geological conditions, high drilling requirements and strict quality standards for a narrow construction time."

dalian as a traffic junction

Dalian, a city with 7.5 million inhabitants, has long been an important traffic junction due to its proximity to Japan and South Korea. Dalian Zhoushuizi Airport, the city's international airport, has been operated for almost a century and has already reached its maximum capacity. In recent years it has been expanded several times, such as yicai , a state -linked newspaper, reports.

The way to the new airport

The city started in 2003 with the location selection and the preparatory work for the new airport. However, the actual building started only a few years ago, according to the State media .

China's growth in air traffic

New airports are a central part of the growth of aviation in China. The country is on the best way to overtake the USA and to become the world's largest market for air travel . The second airport from Beijing, Daxing (PKX), was opened on October 1, 2019 , for 70. Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. At this point in time, Chinese officials stated that the country would need 450 airports by 2035 to meet demand.