China airport wrap: Beijing's growth slows while Shanghai awaits a surge; Kunming fastest-growing

Beijing Capital Airport once again was China's largest, and the world's second-largest by passenger volume in 2013, according to newly released CAAC statistics. But with only 2.2% growth in 2013, near-capacity Beijing is plateauing, awaiting a growth surge when its new airport opens later this decade. Shanghai's airports experienced moderate 5% growth while Guangzhou, China's second-largest airport, achieved 8.6% growth.

Once again the high growth figures were the province of China's secondary cities. Kunming, in China's south, was the fastest-growing major airport in 2013, expanding 23.9%. Kunming's growth was possible due to a new airport that opened in mid-2012, ushering in sudden growth. This is in contrast to Shanghai Pudong, which is expected to gradually increase slot availability over a few years starting in late 2014. Tianjin and Guiyang rounded off the fast-growing airports, with about 20% growth.