Shanghai's second airport opens second terminal

Shanghai Hongqiao International's new Terminal 2 became operational yesterday as the city prepares for Expo 2010 scheduled to run from May to October. Eleven carriers--China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Air China, China Southern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Sichuan Airlines and Juneyao Airlines--have transferred to the new terminal. The old T1 will continue to house local LCC Spring Airlines and charter flights to Japan and South Korea.

Total investment in T2 was approximately CNY11.5 billion ($1.7 billion). It can accommodate 30 million passengers annually, triple the intended number for T1, which was overloaded in 2009 with 25 million passengers and nearly 190,000 aircraft movements. Hongqiao's new second runway, which can handle the A380, also entered operation. With the greater capacity at SHA, China Eastern is expected to increase its slot holding there by 50%, which GM Ma Xulun has said will boost the carrier's Shanghai market share by 3 points to 50%. Spring Chairman Wang Zhenghua said his airline will add five slots.