The peak travel season of the National Day holiday has arrived, and Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport is welcoming a surge of passengers. When the airport's Phase II will be completed and put into operation has once again become a hot topic of discussion.

What does the new airport look like? What new functions will it have in the future? A reporter visited the Airport New City to conduct an on-site exploration of Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport, gaining an in-depth understanding of the construction progress of the terminal area, runway, and surrounding supporting facilities.

Crane-Inspired Design Unveiled as New Terminal Shows Fresh Appearance

Heading north from Terminal 1 of Yangzhou Taizhou Airport, the completed Terminal 2's "crane" shape is fully revealed for the first time. The building silhouette, resembling a crane spreading its wings to fly, has become a new landmark along the air route.

Terminal to Complete Acceptance Inspection by Year-End

"At present, the civil engineering work of the terminal has been basically completed, the decoration work is 90% complete, the mechanical and electrical installation work is 98% complete with various commissioning underway, and the outdoor supporting works are 85% complete. The project is scheduled to complete acceptance inspection by the end of this year," introduced Ding Jiawei, project manager of the Yangzhou Taizhou Airport project under China Construction Eighth Engineering Division. The main structure is divided into three floors. The top floor, which passengers first arrive at, is the domestic departure level, including two check-in islands, 16 security check channels, and two VIP lounge areas.

Entering the interior of the main structure, the magnificent diamond-shaped hollowed "cloud ceiling" design canopy comes into view. Security screening equipment, conveyor systems, and other equipment are being moved in one after another. Construction workers are putting the finishing touches on a series of decoration details such as interior glass installation. At a glance, a brand-new airport has taken shape.

Clear Functional Zoning Across Three Floors with Scientific and Efficient Spatial Design

"The total construction area of Terminal 2 is approximately 100,000 square meters, including one above-ground floor. Relying on a 750-meter-long common utility tunnel, pipelines for water, electricity, and air conditioning are delivered to the terminal through the tunnel, which saves above-ground space," Ding Jiawei introduced. The first floor mainly includes the central baggage sorting hall, baggage claim hall, and welcome hall in the middle. The east concourse is mainly for domestic remote stands and TOC, while the north and south concourses are mainly for VIP lounges, study tour areas, and airport office space.

The second floor's mixed-flow level is the first airport in the central Jiangsu region with a bidirectional passenger convergence design. Both departing and arriving passengers converge on this floor, greatly saving space and improving space utilization. The middle section features commercial areas, dining areas, and cultural and creative blocks. The east, south, and north concourses are distributed with 21 fixed boarding bridges, making boarding convenient for passengers.

Phase II New Runway Completed and Ready

As a key part of the main construction of Yangzhou Taizhou Airport Phase II, the airport runway has always been a focus of attention. "Phase II includes a newly built 3,200-meter parallel taxiway and 36 new passenger and cargo aircraft stands. The runway, taxiway, and apron areas have all been completed and are in place," Ding Jiawei introduced. The total scale of Terminal 2 is three times that of the existing terminal, with a designed annual passenger throughput capacity of 10 million passengers.

As an important component of the Yangtze River Delta airport cluster, the total investment in Yangzhou Taizhou Airport Phase II is approximately 5.6 billion yuan. While ensuring the airport's continued safe operation, the project adopts a "construction without suspending flights" model, achieving orderly parallel operation of operations and construction through zoned work and precise scheduling.

Supporting Facilities Completed in Sync as a New Transportation Hub Takes Shape

On-site observations show that the road connecting the two main terminal buildings of Phase I and Phase II has been completed and paved with asphalt. Directional signs for the pick-up vehicle parking lot and social vehicle drop-off areas have been put up. As supporting auxiliary facilities, the Yangtze River Delta Tourist Distribution Center and GTC project, built in sync with Terminal 2 beneath the road, are also ready for use.

"This is a major highlight of Yangzhou Taizhou Airport Phase II construction. GTC is a brand-new transportation hub that helps passengers reach various destinations in both cities directly," the on-site manager introduced. The Yangtze River Delta Tourist Distribution Center and GTC project has a construction area of 34,000 square meters, including the Yangtze River Delta Tourist Distribution Center, transfer center, long-distance bus passenger station, airport bus station, and GTC parking building. A total of 602 parking spaces are provided, including 207 spaces in the underground parking garage, 185 spaces on the ground floor, and 210 spaces on the rooftop level. Ride-hailing pickup points and charging parking spaces are located on the rooftop level. The garage has 2 entrances and 3 exits, with two internal circulation lanes.

"The GTC project has now been completed and is awaiting acceptance inspection. It can be put into use simultaneously with the terminal," the on-site manager stated. Inside the transfer center, multiple escalators and elevators ensure passenger passage. In the future, from the third floor of the terminal, passengers can reach the transfer center through a no-baggage passage, or travel between the GTC transfer center and the terminal via an underground transportation corridor. Passengers can choose suitable and efficient transportation options through the transfer center.

Striving Toward "Ten Million Level" as Yangzhou Taizhou Airport Phase II Nears Full Completion by Year-End

The Yangzhou Taizhou Airport Phase II project is progressing vigorously and will be fully completed by the end of the year. After passing acceptance inspection and being officially put into use, it will be able to meet the demand of guaranteeing an annual passenger throughput of 10 million passengers and a cargo and mail throughput of 100,000 tons. Its comprehensive support capacity will achieve a leap from the "million level" to the "ten million level."