Nanjing will launch direct flights to North America, Europe and Australasia next year, according to the general manager of the Nanjing International Airport, Mr Xu Yong. Currently, Lufthansa is the only foreign airline to operate services out of Nanjing, with its three-flights-a-week direct service to Frankfurt that started in April 2008. In late November, Air China started a Nanjing-Beijing-New York service, while China Eastern launched the Nanjing-Shanghai Pudong-Los Angeles and Nanjing-Shanghai Pudong-Vancouver services.

Mr Xu said that the second phase of airport expansion had recently been approved by the State Development and Reform Commission. A new runway, 3,660 metres long and 60 metres wide, will be built, together with a 200,000 sq metre terminal and 51 landing bridges. It will cost nearly Rmb10bn. By 2020, the airport is expected to have a passenger volume of 30m and a cargo volume of 800,000 tons.