Northeast China New Airport Gets the Nod

China's National Development and Reform Commission has approved a new airport project in the city of Wudalianchi, Heilongjiang province, according to its official website on June 10, which says that construction work will begin this year.

Total cost of the project is around 691 million yuan ($110 million), with funds coming from the central government, local government, and bank loans, according to a top economic planner.

The airport is designed to handle 300,000 passengers annually by 2020 and 1,500 tons of cargo and mail. It will have a 2,500-meter runway, a taxi strip, a 3,000-square meter terminal, an apron that can accommodate four planes, a control tower, an 800-square-meter navigation center, and related facilities.

Wudalianchi (Five volcano lakes) is a biosphere reserve with UNESCO designation in 2003 and the airport is only 15 kilometer from the Wudalianchi Scenic Area, a natural "Volcano Museum".