China is once again surprising with a megaproject of infrastructure that promises to revolutionize global air transport. This is the Dalian Jinzhouwan International Airport, a terminal that will be built entirely on an artificial island off the coast of the city of Dalian and that will have the capacity to receive 80 million passengers a year when fully operational.
The project aims to respond to the growth of air traffic in northeastern China and position Dalian as one of Asia’s main connection hubs, thanks to a state-of-the-art infrastructure and an unprecedented design.
The world’s largest sea airport
Dalian Jinzhouwan International Airport will be located on an artificial island reclaimed from the sea in Jinzhouwan Bay, off the port city of Dalian, in China’s Liaoning province.
The project includes the creation of a maritime platform of approximately 20 square kilometers, making it one of the largest airport projects built on land reclaimed from the sea.
The choice of this location is due to the lack of space to expand the current Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, which is already operating close to its capacity limit.
Operations are expected to start fully between 2030 and 2035. When all construction phases are completed, the airport will be able to handle:
- 80 million passengers per year.
- 540,000 annual flight operations.
- 1 million tons of cargo per year.
It will have state-of-the-art technology
Dalian Jinzhouwan International Airport will incorporate smart systems to improve the passenger experience and increase operational efficiency. Among the planned innovations are:
- Automated check-in processes.
- Smart baggage management systems.
- Digitalized immigration controls.
- Advanced technology for air navigation.
- Energy efficiency and environmental sustainability solutions.