Shanghai Pudong International Airport, the country's second-busiest airport, expects to handle 20 percent more passengers this year than in 2007 as it expands capacity. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

The wave-shaped building, resembling the wings of a sea gull, has 546,000 square metres in three layers, doubling both size and handling capacity of the old airport.

The airport had been bursting at the seams, handling 28.95 million travellers last year, nearly 50 per cent more than the 20 million the old terminal built nine years ago was originally designed for.

'As the passenger numbers and cargo flow have kept up double-digit growth for years, the old infrastructure can no longer satisfy the soaring demand,' said Wu Nianzu, chairman of the Shanghai Airport Authority, or SAA.

The SAA runs Pudong airport and the smaller Hongqiao airport across town.

As part of SAA's 2.8-billion-dollar (S$3.85 billion)expansion plan started three years ago, the new terminal is expected to match soaring demand, such as an estimated 15 million passengers for the six-month World Expo in 2010.

'Very beautiful', a middle-aged American woman giving her surname as Tuttle said, looking up at the vast arch. 'It is as nice as any great airport I've been to.'

Northwest Airlines veteran flight captain Joe Kannapell, the first captain to use the new building for international flight, also liked what he saw.

'Look at these flows, at a first glance, it is spectacular... The Chinese are doing a nice contrast between the old and new, as reflected in this terminal.'

Aside from the terminal opening, a third runway and a new freight handling area were also put into operation, helping to expand the total capacity for cargo transportation to 4.2 million tonnes.

Pudong Airport handled 2.51 million tonnes of cargo in 2007, making it one of the top five airport cargo hubs in the world.

'We see huge market potential, especially growing demands from high-end manufacturers invested in cities of the Yangtze River Delta.' Mr Wu noted.

He also commented on speculation that a third terminal will be completed by 2015, adding another 20 million to the total passenger throughput that the airport can handle.

'We've started technical preparations and examined the possible location for the third terminal.' 'It is never wrong to prepare early, but whether the project will start or not still depends on air traffic demand in future.'

Pudong Airport's record of expansion highlights the needs of the fast-growing domestic aviation industry.

Civil aviation traffic across China grew 16 per cent last year to 185 million passenger trips, and is expected to increase to 210 million in 2008.

In an effort to meet demand, nearly 100 new airports are planned to be built across China by 2020 at a cost of more than 60 billion dollars, including the world's highest in Tibet.

Beijing recently opened a colossal new airport terminal, in time to meet demand from a flood of visitors for this summer's Olympics. -- AFP