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| In the first phase, the core area of the new airport will be built on a nine-square-kilometer area on Dadeng Island. |
Xiang'an International Airport, Xiamen's second airport, is well in progress and being assessed by the National Development and Reform Commission, according to reports.
The project is scheduled to begin construction at the end of 2016 and come into operation in 2020.
The project will be carried out in two phases, covering a total of 46 square kilometers in Xiang'an District.
In the first phase, the core area of the new airport will be built on a nine-square-kilometer area on Dadeng Island. This area includes the airfield with two airstrips and a 0.54 million m2 terminal building that can accommodate up to 45 million passengers per year.
The airport will eventually embrace four airstrips with handling capacity expected to increase to 75 million people after the completion of the second phase.
According to the projected growth in Xiamen's aviation volumes, it is estimated that Gaoqi Airport could be handling up to 230 million people in 2015 increasing to 300 million in 2020, which would overwhelm the airport with its single airstrip at present. The new airport in Xiang'an is therefore expected to give subsequent support when it begins operations in 2020.
The construction of the new airport will drive the development of aviation and warehouse logistics as well as regional construction in Xiang'an district. Meanwhile offices and tourism infrastructures are also to be built up step-by-step. Upon completion, the airport is expected to become a regional aviation hub that can basically meet the air transport demands in Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, Longyan, Kinmen, as well as the eastern Guangdong and southern Jiangxi region.
