Expansion of airport in northwest China approved

Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport, in northwest China's Gansu Province, will be expanded as a hub airport with enhanced capacity in both passenger and cargo transport, according to the operator of the airport.

The Northwest Regional Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and Gansu Provincial Commission of Development and Reform have approved the initial design and budget of the airport's expansion, said the Gansu Civil Aviation Airport Group.

The expansion project will enable the airport to handle 38 million passenger trips and 300,000 tonnes of air cargo a year by 2030.

The project includes a new terminal of 400,000 square meters, a parking apron with 91 stances for aircraft and a comprehensive transport center, as well as facilities for cargo transport and fire rescue.

The project will be completed in four years, with an estimated budget of 33.4 billion yuan (about 4.7 billion U.S. dollars). It is one of the projects listed in China's 13th five-year plan for the civil aviation sector.