China is building a groundbreaking addition to its aviation achievements: the world’s largest airport on an artificial island. Currently under construction near the country’s northeast coast, the Dalian Jinzhou Bay International Airport will span a 20-square-kilometer (7.7-square-mile) island with four runways and a massive 900,000-square-meter (969,000-square-foot) passenger terminal.
Ambitious Goals for the Future
Scheduled to open its first phase in 2035, the airport aims to accommodate 80 million passengers annually, with 540,000 flights projected each year. Operators describe the construction as a monumental effort, stating on WeChat, “The country’s largest offshore airport is rising slowly from the sea level like the sunrise in the east.” Once completed, it will surpass Hong Kong International Airport and Japan’s Kansai Airport as the world’s largest airport built on an artificial island.
Overcoming Complex Engineering Challenges
According to Li Xiang, chief engineer of Dalian Airport Construction and Development Co., Ltd., the project faces immense challenges due to its complex geological conditions, high drilling difficulty, and strict quality demands under tight deadlines.
A Solution to Growing Demand
Dalian, a city of 7.5 million residents and a key transport hub near Japan and South Korea, has outgrown its current airport, Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport. Operating for nearly a century, the airport has reached full capacity despite multiple expansions. Planning for the new airport began in 2003, but construction only gained momentum in recent years.
China’s Aviation Growth on a Global Scale
The new airport is part of China’s larger strategy to dominate global air travel markets. The country is expected to surpass the United States as the world’s largest air travel market, with plans to build 450 airports by 2035.
Beijing’s Daxing Airport, inaugurated in 2019 on the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, exemplifies the country’s ambition to expand and modernize its aviation infrastructure. The Dalian Jinzhou Bay International Airport is set to continue that legacy, redefining what’s possible in aviation engineering and capacity.
