Guilin Liangjiang International Airport expansion approved

The expansion project of Guilin Liangjiang International Airport was recently approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Guilin Liangjiang has more than doubled its passenger traffic since its establishment in 1996. When the reform on localization began in 2004, the airport’s average increase in passenger throughput reached 26.6 percent within three years. The airport registered a passenger volume of 4.665 million in 2007 and significantly improved its flight area from 4D to 4E grade. It is projected that the volume of passengers of Guilin Liangjiang will reach five million in 2008 and is further expected to reach ten million by the year 2020. Guilin Liangjiang International Airport is one of the key airport construction projects in the Eleventh Five-Year development plan of the CAAC. It was listed under the State Council’s civil aviation plan for retrofit and expansion as a medium domestic airport. The proposed retrofit and expansion project will include developing the airport as an alternative landing for A380 aircraft, which is the largest passenger airliner in the world. The project will incorporate the necessary design, which will enhance the service condition of the airport. The main construction project includes widening of the former runway and taxiway, two A380 parking stands, air traffic control center, and support facilities such as visual aid light and firefighting. Total investment for the expansion and retrofit of Guilin Liangjiang is over RMB 100 million. Once completed, the airport can accommodate the takeoff and landing requirements of aircraft such as the A380.