The Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport opening in the Chinese coastal city Qingdao is predicted to be a major tourism boost. The starfish-shaped structure is twice the size of London’s Heathrow Airport.
The airport has taken 5 years to build and has cost an estimated $5.8b (R95,111,358,000) to complete, according to CNN. The airport spans over 3.66 square km.
This will be the first 4F-class airport for this city, according to CNN. This means it has the capacity to accommodate the globe’s largest commercial aircrafts such as the Boeing 787 and A380. The airport will be able to serve a landing or take off every 73 seconds.
The starfish-shaped Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport which is twice the size of London’s Heathrow Airport will boost the tourism in China. With a capacity to serve 60 million passengers, it can also accommodate world’s largest commercial aircraft.https://t.co/VIxnaPpQTG pic.twitter.com/e8ZUcKC6uL
— TraveloGuide Insight (@TravelLoGuide) July 22, 2020
In a statement, China.org said: ‘The new airport is located in Jiaozhou City, about 39 kilometers from the urban center of Qingdao, with a phase-1 construction area of 16 square kilometers. After project completion, the new airport will be able to serve about 35 million passengers a year, handle about 500,000 metric tons of cargo, and allow 298,000 landings and takeoffs.
‘The terminal building of the airport has been designed according to the nation’s highest standards for conserving water, energy, land, and other resources. It is the first airport in China to introduce the eco-friendly ‘sponge concept,’ featuring an independent energy center to save energy and protect the environment.’
This will be a new gateway airport to Northeast Asia.
Image credit: Twitter/ @TravelLoGuide
