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Shanghai unveils plan to create international aviation hub handling 200 million passengers annually by 2035
October 23rd 2026
The Shanghai Municipal Government and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) have unveiled a strategy to expand the Shanghai aviation hub’s annual capacity to 200 million passengers and 5.4 million tonnes of cargo and mail by 2035. Read More » The plan includes integrating Shanghai Pudong and Hongqiao airports with a new airport in Nantong, Jiangsu province. The guideline, formally known as “the New Journey of the New Era: Strategic Plan for Shanghai International Aviation Hub”, was released at the opening ceremony of the 2026 North Bund Forum, held in Shanghai from October 20 to 21, 2026.
With the completion of the fourth phase of Shanghai Pudong International Airport by 2030, Shanghai’s international aviation hub is expected to reach 150 million passenger trips annually, with cargo and mail throughput growing to 4.7 million tons, laying the foundation for a leading aviation hub in the Asia-Pacific region. According to the guideline, a comprehensive international aviation hub with global influence will take shape in the 2050s.
“The new airport in Nantong by 2035 will increase the Shanghai international aviation hub’s capacity to 200 million passengers and 5.4 million tons of cargo and mail, facilitating the city’s efforts to build a comprehensive international aviation hub with global influence by the middle of this century,” Li Nuo, deputy director-general of the Civil Aviation Administration of China’s Department of Development Planning, said.
