The Pudong International Airport hosts a number of local and global airlines. (Photo : Xinhua)
Citing an airport authority, the Xinhua News Agency reported that the construction of the world's largest satellite terminal has kicked off in Shanghai's Pudong International Airport on Tuesday.
According to the article, the satellite terminal will be composed of two linked satellite halls. It will serve as a complementary part of the airport, sharing transfers, departures as well as arrivals.
The largest of its kind, the project will include building 83 fixed tunnels and will cover an area of 622,000 square meters. In total, 20.6 billion yuan ($3.18 billion) will be invested in the terminal's construction.
First built in 1999, Pudong International Airport is considered as one of the major aviation hubs in the Asian region. After the second-phase expansion project for the airport was finished in 2008, its annual passenger throughput has reached 42 million.
Being the primary global airport in Shanghai, China's financial hub, the passenger throughput of Pudong has hit 60 million by the end of 2015.
The airport's third-phase expansion project covers the construction of the satellite terminal. Apart from building the terminal, the project also includes the construction of dispatch control centers and other auxiliary facilities in the terminal area.
The satellite terminal is expected to be completed in 2019, Xinhua reported, adding that the venture will help the airport accommodate and handle 80 million passengers.
The Shanghai Pudong International Airport has two terminals, four runways and three cargo sections. With its host of domestic and international airlines, it offers direct and connecting flights to key countries and regions across the globe.
