Chinese airline to allow simultaneous takeoff and landing. (Photo : REUTERS)
China is currently building the world's largest offshore airport, which is planned to accommodate the biggest passenger jet, Airbus A380.
Set on a reclaimed land offshore Dalian City in Liaoning Province, the new airport under construction is named Jinzhouwan International Airport. It will cover approximately 21 square kilometers and will cost 26.3 yuan ($4.3 billion) to build.
The record-breaking project has had some issues. According to project staff members and villagers living nearby, the construction of the airport started in 2011, but people heading the project bypassed approval from the national authorities and some necessary procedures.
Experts have also warned about the fragility of the runway built on the reclaimed land, on top of the issue of costly maintenance, which is 20 times higher than that of an inland airport.
As the world's largest offshore airport, the Jinzhouwan International Airport will have four runways and will be capable of loading the biggest passenger jet, Airbus A380.
When the new airport was being planned, Dalian International Airport Co Ltd chairman Cai Li said that it was a "timely move," as Dalian's existing Zhoushuizi airport will be outgrown within five years, Reuters reported. Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport is China's 17th busiest airport.
Several gateways have been built offshore prior to the Jinzhouwan airport, including Nagasaki Airport in Nagasaki, Japan; Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan; and LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York City.
In 2013, Zhoushuizi International Airport handled more than 14 million passengers, a record that was 5.6 percent higher than in 2012. All airports in China handled more than 754 million passengers, which increased 11 percent from 2012.
Currently developing a major airport expansion drive, China aims to bring the total number of its airports to over 220 by year-end 2015, Airport World reported.
In the next 20 years, one new plane will take to China's skies every other day, and congestion and delays are expected to become worse, said the Jinzhouwan airport manufacturers.
