A group of airports will be constructed and upgraded on the Yangtze River Delta, one of economic engines in China, a senior official with the east China branch of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) said on Saturday.
Shen Zejiang, deputy head of CAAC east China branch, said the second-phase of the expansion project of Shanghai Pudong International Airport was well under way, while upgrading and construction projects of Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, Hefei Airport in Anhui Province, Yichun Airport in Jiangxi Province and Huai'an Airport in Jiangsu Province, are being prepared.
Upon completion of these projects, an airport web will come into being on the Yangtze River Delta.
Currently, there are 10 airports operational on the Delta.
Last year, the 10 airports recorded passenger transport volume of 67.36 million people, a year-on-year growth of 13.9 percent, and cargo transport volume of 2.93 million tons, up 13.9 percent. They accommodated 619,000 aircraft take-offs and landings, up 13 percent.
(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2007)