Beijing to revamp swamped airport
Monday, April 4, 2005 Posted: 10:54 AM EDT (1454 GMT)
BEIJING, China (AP) -- Swamped with travelers just six years after a major expansion, Beijing's airport plans to spend $145 million to add new gates and improve its runways, state media reported.
Beijing Capital International Airport can handle 35 million passengers a year following the opening of its second terminal in 1999. But business and tourist travel is surging as China's economy booms.
Wang Jiadong, the airport's general manager, said the 'upgrading was necessary in terms of its passenger flows,' Xinhua reported.
The airport said last year its total number of annual travelers had passed 30 million and Xinhua cited Wang as saying that should jump by another 5 million this year.
The airport plans to add 67 spots for parking planes, at least 10 boarding gates and 32 reception counters, the Xinhua News Agency said Sunday. It also plans to upgrade runways.
The airport also is preparing to build a third terminal that officials say will expand its capacity to 60 million passengers a year.
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