Xiamen Airport commences construction on fourth terminal. Second airport to open in 2019

Xiamen is planning for considerable future expansion with the existing Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, China's 11th busiest in 2010, commencing construction on its fourth terminal this month. Details are emerging for plans to commence construction on a new facility, Xiang'an International Airport, in 2014. The planned Xiang'an Airport, which is scheduled to open in 2019, could eventually be bigger than the nation's current largest airport, Beijng Capital, with capacity to handle up to 75 million passengers p/a.

Xiamen Gaoqi Airport was the fourth fastest growing major airport in China (of airports with more than 10 million annual pax) behind Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai Hongqiao and Xi'an in 2010, driven by the region's booming tourism industry, which has been fuelled by the increasing exchange of visits between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. Currently, Xiamen Airport has a total of 31 cross-Strait services per week, ranking in the top five nationwide. The airport expects to handle 15.0 million passengers this year.