Flight crew and Xijiang Airport staff celebrate the maiden flight from Beijing to Wuzhou. [Photo by Liang Xinyu/gxnews.com.cn]

Wuzhou Xijiang Airport opened to air traffic on Jan 23, with the first Beijing-Wuzhou flight touching down on the tarmac at 11 am.

Covering an area of 3,110 mu (207 hectares), the civil airport is located 20 kilometers away from downtown Wuzhou. It was listed as a major transport project in the city's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), and construction commenced in 2014 with a cost of 1.77 billion yuan ($260.8 million).

Built to 4C standards, Xijiang Airport has an 8,000-square-meter terminal, a 2,600-meter runway, and five parking aprons. It can accommodate large and medium-sized passenger planes such as the Boeing 737 and A320.

The crew of the first Beijing-Wuzhou flight disembarks. [Photo by Liang Xinyu/gxnews.com.cn]

In addition to Beijing, the airport also operates daily flights to Shanghai and Changsha. More flights will be launched in the future, connecting the city with other major domestic cities. By 2025, the annual passenger throughput is expected to reach 750,000 people, while the cargo and mail throughput is expected to reach 6,000 tons.

Poised to become a regional transport hub, the new airport is of great significance to local social and economic development.

Passengers check in at the service counter. [Photo by Liang Xinyu/gxnews.com.cn]