On June 28, Kunming Wujiaba International Airport will close down and all operations will be based at the new Kunming Changshui International Airport.
The new airport is designed to handle 38 million passengers per year initially, with plans to further expand and upgrade facilities to handle at least 65 million passengers by 2040. The airport comprises of one 540,000 sqm terminal, 78 boarding gates and two runways. Eventually, another two runways will be added, according to the airport’s official website.
This new facility is located more than 20 km east of the city, much further away than the old airport about 4km southeast of town.
Although there are no official statements from the airport about transportation options, according to local media, there are several new express bus services moving people between the city and the new airport. There is a one-way shuttle service from Xiyi Hotel in the city to the airport passing by just one stop at Xinyin Residence Community. There is also a round-trip bus service between Linyu Road in the city and the new airport.
A spokesperson from Dragonair, which flies to Kunming, said that the city, though a popular tourist destination, is seeing an increasing number of business travellers thanks to the wealth of natural resources found there, including copper, lead, zinc and steel.
For more information, visit www.newkma.com however readers should note the website is in Chinese and there is no English version.
Alisha Haridasani
