China approves $6 billion airport expansion in Xinjiang capital

China’s state planner on Monday approved a 42.1 billion yuan ($6.06 billion) airport expansion project in Urumqi, capital of the far western region of Xinjiang, a key hub in China’s Belt and Road initiative.

Construction will run through 2030 when the expanded airport is expected to handle 63 million passengers and 750,000 tonnes of cargo a year, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement.

The expansion includes construction of two additional runways, according to a Reuters report.

The investment value is over half of what China is spending on Beijing’s new mega-airport project - Daxing International Airport - that costs 80 billion yuan and will serve 72 million passengers a year by 2025.

Oil and mineral-rich Xinjiang has seen infrastructure construction spring up across the region in recent years as it is considered by China to be a key node in President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road initiative.

Xi’s multi-billion-dollar plan aims to bolster a sprawling network of land and sea links with Asian neighbours and beyond.

China is planning hundreds of airports across the country to serve a market boosted by rising business travel and tourism fueled by a growing middle class.