Travelers passing through Shanghai Pudong International Airport can look forward to shorter walks, faster transfers and automated security once Terminal 3 opens by the end of 2028.

The terminal is the centerpiece of the airport's fourth-phase expansion, which broke ground in January 2022. It is at the south of the existing Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and satellite terminal.

The Pudong airport handled nearly 85 million passengers last year, already above its designed capacity of 80 million, Zhou Hao, president of the Shanghai Airport Authority, told a press briefing on Wednesday.

Once Terminal 3 opens, the airport's total capacity will rise to 130 million passengers a year, Zhou said.

The T3 alone is designed to handle 50 million passengers a year. It will split international and domestic flights into two separate buildings joined by a central transport hub, cutting the distance passengers walk between connecting flights.

"The new terminal will reduce the distance passengers walk between flights and improve the overall travel experience with swappable boarding gates, automated baggage handling and streamlined customs clearance," Zhou said.

Facial recognition and other smart technology will speed up security checks and immigration. The terminal is also being built to green building standards, cutting energy use by 30 percent and reducing carbon emissions by more than 40,000 tons a year.

New rail links, including the planned Shanghai East railway station and Metro Line 21, will connect the terminal to high-speed trains and local transit by the end of 2030.

The city government released the expansion as part of a broader five-year plan for Shanghai's shipping and aviation industry on Wednesday.

Shanghai Vice Mayor He Qing said the city's port and airport already rank among the world's best.

The Shanghai Port handled well over 55 million standard containers last year, ranking first globally for the 16th straight year.

The city's two airports together served 135 million passengers, ranking third among world cities, with a cargo volume of 4.54 million tons, ranking second.

On July 10, an index tracking global shipping centers showed Shanghai had overtaken London for the first time, moving into second place worldwide. Singapore remains the first, according to the 2026 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Center Development Index.

By 2030, the city aims to raise container throughput at the Shanghai Port to more than 58 million containers a year. Airport passenger traffic is targeted to reach 150 million a year, with cargo volume around 4.7 million tons.

City officials also plan to improve border clearance, legal services and international exchanges, aiming for a smoother environment for global travelers and businesses in Shanghai.

Source: City News Service