Shanghai Pudong International Airport

Early development

Prior to the establishment of Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport was the primary airport of Shanghai. During the 1990s, the expansion of Hongqiao Airport to meet growing demand became impossible as the surrounding urban area was developing significantly, and an alternative to assume all international flights had to be sought.

After deliberation, the municipal government decided to adopt the suggestion from Professor Chen Jiyu of East China Normal University, who wrote a letter to the Mayor of Shanghai Xu Kuangdi suggesting that the new airport should be constructed on the tidal flats of the south bank of the Yangtze River estuary, on the coast of the Pudong development zone to the east of Shanghai.

Construction of the first phase of the new Shanghai Pudong International Airport began in October 1997, took two years to build at a cost of RMB 12 billion (1.67 billion USD), and was opened on October 1, 1999. It covers an area of 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi) and is 30 kilometres (19 mi) from downtown Shanghai. The first phase of the airport has one 4E category runway (4000 m x 60 m) along with two parallel taxiways, an 800,000-square-metre (8,600,000 sq ft) apron, seventy-six aircraft positions and a 50,000 m² (540,000 sq ft) cargo warehouse.

A second runway was opened on March 17, 2005, and construction of phase two (including a second terminal, a third runway and a cargo terminal) began in December 2005 and started operation on March 26, 2008, in time for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics.

Ongoing expansion

In November 2011, Pudong Airport received approval from the national government for a new round of expansion which includes two runways. The 3,800-meter fourth runway, along with an auxiliary taxiway and traffic control facilities, is projected to cost 2.58 billion yuan (USD 403 million). The 3,400-meter fifth runway, along with a new traffic tower, will cost 4.65 billion yuan (USD 726.6 million). Construction was completed in 2015 and has doubled the capacity of the airport.

Composition

The airport has 70 boarding bridges along with 218 parking positions. Four runways are in operation: one 4,000-metre (13,000 ft) runway with 4E rating (capable of accommodating aircraft up to Boeing 747-400) and six taxiways, two 3,800-metre (12,500 ft) runways with 4F rating (capable of accommodating aircraft up to Airbus A380, Boeing 747-8, and Antonov An-225) and four taxiways each, and one 3,400-metre (11,200 ft) runway with 4F rating and six taxiways.

Terminal 1

Terminal 1 was opened on October 1, 1999 along with a 4000m runway and including a cargo hub. It was built to handle the demand for traffic and to relieve Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport's traffic. Terminal 1 is shaped like Osaka Kansai International Airport's terminal, but it is shorter and with 28 gates, 13 of which are double decker gates. The exterior of the terminal is shaped like waves. The capacity of Terminal 1 is 20 million passengers. It currently has 204 check-in counters, thirteen luggage conveying belts and covering an area of 280,000 square meters.

Terminal 2

Terminal 2, opened on March 26, 2008, along with the third runway, gives a capacity of 60 million passengers and 4.2 million tonnes of cargo annually. Terminal 2 is shaped like the 1st terminal but it has more of a wave shaping, rather than a seagull shape and is slightly larger than Terminal 1. Terminal 2 also has more levels than Terminal 1. Terminal 2 is primarily used by Air China and other Star Alliance members.

Satellite Concourses

An additional satellite concourse facility to provide further gates and terminal space started construction on December 29, 2015 and is expected to be completed in 2019. This project will support 38 million passengers annually through 83 departure gates across two S1 and S2 concourses. These will be connected by an underground automated people mover to the current T1 and T2 terminals.

Highway

Maglev train

Starting service on January 29, 2004 as the first commercial high-speed maglev railway in the world, Shanghai Maglev Train links Pudong International Airport with Longyang Road Metro Station, where transfer to Line 2, Line 7, and Line 16 is possible. The 30-km ride from Longyang Road Metro station to Pudong International Airport typically takes less than eight minutes, with the maximum speed reaching 431 km/h. Trains operate every 15 minutes; therefore passengers can expect to arrive in less than 25 minutes, waiting time included.

All cars are equipped with racks and space designated for luggage.

Shanghai Metro Line 2

Shanghai Metro Line 2 also provides service between Pudong International Airport and Longyang Road, Lujiazui, People's Square, and Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai's primary domestic airport as well as Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. Line 2 is part of the Shanghai Metro system; therefore unlike the Maglev, free in-system transfer to other lines are possible.

Prices are substantially lower than the Maglev. A casual ride to People's Square, the city center, typically takes just over one hour. It is wise to allow more than five hours for a safe flight transfer at Hongqiao International Airport using public transportation.

It should further be noted that Line 2 operates in two sections: trains from Pudong International Airport terminate at Guanglan Road, where passengers wishing to travel on change trains across the platform. In addition, not all trains go to Hongqiao International Airport.

Airport buses

Eight airport bus lines serve the airport, providing rapid links to various destinations.

Accidents and incidents