The blueprint for Wuhan Tianhe Airport has been approved by the national aviation authorities and Hubei provincial government. Expansion work on the airport’s second runway and third terminal will start within the year, costing an estimated total of Rmb12bn. It is expected to take three years to finish. The 3,600km long second runway, on the eastern side of the first, will accommodate large aircraft such as the Airbus 380; the third terminal will be nearly twice as big as the second one.

In another development, Wuhan Port Group, the largest port operator in the city, has had its plan to build a 24-storey shipping centre approved by the city’s development and reform commission. It will be a gathering place for shippers, forwarders, shipping agents, Customs, banks, insurance and other related agencies to work together under the same roof.