Wuqiao Airport, the first in the Three Gorges area, will be put
into use in later May after trial operations starting May 10, local
civil aviation officials said.
Covering more than 120 hectares, the airport can accommodate
B737-300, A320-200 and MD-82 aircraft. Construction of the airport
cost 370 million yuan (45 million US dollars).
Tan Jiwei, director of the Wanzhou District Administration of Civil
Aviation, said flights from Wanzhou to Guangzhou, Chengdu and
Chongqing will be opened first. Flights to other large cities,
including Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an and Wuhan, will be opened
successively.
Due to its geographical location, water transport has long played a
key role in the Three Gorges area, which the world's largest water
conservancy project is under construction.
The opening of the airport is expected to boost tourism and create
business opportunities along the middle reaches of the Yangtze
River, China's longest river.
The Daxian-Wanzhou railway, the first rail route leading to the
Three Gorges area was opened to traffic last year.
(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2003)