Work on Pudong Airport's new terminal gets underway

Construction of Terminal 3 at Shanghai Pudong International Airport began on Wednesday.

It is the main part of the airport's phase-4 expansion project, which kicked off in 2022. On completion in 2028, the Pudong airport will have three terminals, one satellite terminal and four runways, better meeting the rising demand for air travel, cargo transportation and the city's ambition to become a world's leading shipping and air transport center, the Shanghai Airport Authority said.

The new terminal will also help build the airport become a first-class international hub featuring convenient and efficient transportation, an integrated network, and green and smart operations.

The design of the architecture, dubbed "Soaring," looks like a hawk spreading its wings.

T3, which is to the south of the current T1 and T2, has a designed capacity of 50 million passengers a year. Upon its completion, Pudong airport will be able to handle 130 million air travelers each year by 2030, on par with the world's top air hubs such as London's Heathrow and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport in the US.

The T3 terminal will have twin terminal buildings with 90 contact stands, with one for international flights and those to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, the other for domestic flights. The twin-building and X-shaped-corridor design reduces walking distances to boarding gates.

Intelligent technology and green concepts are fully involved in the design, construction and operation of the new terminal, which will offer smart consultation services, DIY check-in services, security checks and boarding, and Chinese passengers' facial recognition for customs clearance.

Passengers in Yangtze River Delta region's Suzhou and Kunshan can check in at remote terminals and avoid repeated check-in after arriving at T3.

Multiple public transport systems, such as the Airport Link Line, Metro lines 2 and 21, as well as the Shanghai East Railway Station, will be connected with the new terminal.

To achieve the goal of becoming the world's top shipping and international air hub. Shanghai has primarily established a multi-airport system, which has Pudong and Hongqiao airports totaling four terminals, one satellite terminal and six runways with over 100 million passenger volume and 4 million tons of cargo a year. The two airports now have flights to 114 destinations in 48 countries.

The two airports have achieved a 100 million passenger turnover in the first 10 months this year, rising by 32 percent over the same period last year.