Shanghai Opens New Airport Terminal

Shanghai is China’s second largest city and Hongqiao Airport has just made the addition of a new terminal which is expected to welcome millions of visitors to its Expo in 2010. The new build is to be known as the ‘Rainbow terminal’ and is part of a $2.2 billion makeover bringing it well into the modern era, a travel hub was also created with a metro and a high speed train taking people to and from the city centre just 35 minutes away.

A member of Hongqiao Airport authority believes that, “An airport with the size of a world class hub has taken place, which will provide a high quality aviation service for the World Expo.” It was over a week ago when the first flight took off from the new Rainbow terminal which is considered to be around four times bigger than the old one.

The name of Rainbow terminal comes from the actual name of the airport itself, Hongqiao, which means Rainbow Bridge. Hongqiao isn’t Shanghai’s main airport it is used more for domestic flights, whereas Pudong Airport deals with international visitors. With the new terminal Hongqiao Airport is expected to get quite busy with the Expo coming up as around 70 to 100 million visitors from around China will be coming, many of which will check in a Hongqiao. By the year 2015 the airport is hoped to be dealing with 40 million passengers with three quarters coming through the four levelled rainbow terminal.

The old terminal was only supposed to deal with around 10 million passengers over a year but now will be able to welcome 25 million annually.

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