Jiaodong airport opens in Qingdao

Shandong province welcomes completion of first 4F-level transport hub

Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, the first 4F-level airport in Shandong province－4F is the highest class of airport that can handle various large aircraft－officially opened to the public on Aug 12.

The airport, which has China's highest-level international rating, joins the recently opened air hubs of Beijing Daxing International Airport and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport.

Officials from the Shandong provincial government and Qingdao city government inspected the airport in Qingdao, Shandong province on its opening day and provided feedback on its operations.

Construction of the airport began in 2015 with an investment of 36 billion yuan ($5.5 billion). The first phase covers an area of 16.25 square kilometers and features two 3.6-kilometer runways and 184 gates.

Officials said the airport is hoped to promote Qingdao as a gateway to China, particularly in South Korea and Japan, and help achieve its goals of becoming more open, modern and fashionable.

It is planned that by 2025, the annual passenger throughput will reach 35 million; the cargo throughput will be 500,000 metric tons; and the airport will handle 300,000 takeoffs and landings per year.

The second phase is aimed to be completed by 2045. By then, the airport will be able to serve some 55 million passengers a year, officials said.

As the first 4F-level international airport in Shandong province, the airport will implement a concept of "safety, eco-friendliness, intelligent operation and humanity" in a bid to provide passengers with the best service and social responsibility.

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, it is one of China's first airports to make full use of high-tech tools such as big data, cloud computing, the internet of things and mobile internet.

Featuring seamless transfers to public transportation such as high-speed trains, roads, subways and buses, the airport will become a general transport center connecting downtown Qingdao and other regions in northern Jiangsu province, eastern Henan province and northern Anhui province, officials said.

A green concept features throughout the airport's planning, design, construction and operation in a bid to maximize economic, environmental and social benefits.

The Jiaodong airport also features an underground pipe system in line with China's "sponge city" concept to reduce flooding, control pollution and facilitate the reuse of rainwater.

The new airport will boost Qingdao's airport economy and help the city play a bigger role in the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area. It will also inject new impetus into the construction of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the economic development of the Yellow River basin, officials said.

Qingdao's Liuting Airport located in Chengyang district closed on Aug 11 after 39 years of service. The move has released 33 sq km of valuable space, officials said.

According to the Qingdao city government, the area will be used to create a new development integrating business and commerce functions, featuring finance, transportation, education, healthcare and culture.