Summary
- The Dalian Jinzhou Bay International Airport is being built on Jinzhou Bay and it will be China’s first airport constructed on an artificial island over the sea.
- In its initial phase, the airport will include two runways and one Terminal 1 building with the capacity to handle 43 million passengers annually and around 330,000 aircraft movements per year.
- In the long term, the airport will feature four runways and a massive terminal covering 9.7 million square feet with the capacity to serve up to 80 million passengers annually.
China is once again surprising the world with its ambitious construction projects but its latest development is truly remarkable. Unlike traditional infrastructure projects built on land or in deserts, this one is being constructed over water.
The Dalian Jinzhou Bay International Airport is being built on Jinzhou Bay and it will be China’s first airport constructed on an artificial island over the sea. Spanning 7.7 square miles, the airport island is already attracting global attention even before a single passenger boards a flight.
The real significance of the project is not just its size but its purpose—to strengthen trade routes in a densely populated urban area and demonstrate that a fully functional airport can operate on a man-made island in the sea.
Expansion plans and capacity
The airport is being developed to ease pressure on the existing airport in Dalian which is located very close to the city center and faces issues such as traffic congestion, noise pollution, limited airspace and lack of expansion space.
To address these challenges, the new Jinzhou Bay Airport is being built offshore allowing planners to overcome limitations related to runways, cargo handling, road connectivity and future expansion.
In its initial phase, the airport will include two runways and one Terminal 1 building with the capacity to handle 43 million passengers annually and around 330,000 aircraft movements per year.
In the long term, the airport will feature four runways and a massive terminal covering 9.7 million square feet with the capacity to serve up to 80 million passengers annually.
Cost and construction progress
The project is estimated to cost around $7.5 billion. About 37% of the first phase has already been completed. Approximately 3,500 workers are currently engaged in constructing the airport on the sea surface.
The airport’s foundations are being installed 82 feet underwater while around 56 million cubic yards of material will be required to create the artificial island.
Future outlook
Air traffic operations are expected to begin by 2035. The artificial island will also include 850 trees as part of its green infrastructure making the airport more environmentally friendly.
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