Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport is getting a new terminal – and it’s opening sooner than you might think. April 26 has been announced as the opening day for the new building; a highly anticipated expansion of the aviation hub that’s slated to bring a much-needed increase to the airport’s passenger capacity. State-run newspaper Guangzhou Daily revealed the news Wednesday.
Baiyun Airport is already the third busiest in China and the 13th busiest in the world in terms of passenger traffic, according to South China Morning Post .
The second terminal is expected to handle 45 million passengers a year by 2020, nearly doubling Baiyun’s current capacity. It will boast 397 check-in counters and over 5,000 parking spaces in its shiny new car park.
The ambitious engineering project came with a RMB17 billion price tag.
Terminal 2 will largely serve as the new home for China Southern Airlines, as well as housing operations for other SkyTeam members like China Eastern, Xiamen Airlines, Air France and Air Korea, the Yangcheng Evening News reports.
The news comes as the city’s Land Resources and Urban Planning commission revealed further details over the weekend on the planned construction of a massive new second airport for the city in the eastern district of Zengcheng.
Both projects will further solidify Guangzhou’s role as a major regional hub for passenger and freight transport – setting it on a course to supplant Hong Kong in the coming years.
READ MORE: Guangzhou to Build 2nd International Airport in Zengcheng District
[Image via SCMP]
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