Being an important trunk line airport of China, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport is a key airport for tourism city and scheduled international flights. It also serves as a major alternate landing airport for Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Located at the south bank of Qiantang River, the airport is 27 kilometers away from the downtown area of Hangzhou. The construction of airport has been conducted in three phases, namely “the near-phase, metaphase and long-phase” under the principle of “Planning at One Time, Construction in Several Phases”. The airport project was initiated formally in July, 1997 and the newly-completed airport underwent the initial flight operation on December 30, 2000. In September 2003, the State Council approved expanding the opening of Hangzhou air port to foreign airplanes. In March, 2004, the Hangzhou air port starts the official expansion of its opening to foreign airplanes after passing the state inspection.

    The first phase of the airport project covers an area of over 7260 mu. Project in this phase has been constructed aiming to handle the taking off and landing of B747-400 airplanes, 8 million passengers and 110,000 tons of cargo annually. The airside grade index is 4E, with a 3600-meter long and 45-meter wide runway. The terminal building, covering a construction area of 100,000 square meters ( including an underground parking lot with an area of 22,000 square meters), is designed and constructed to handle 3600 passengers per hour at the rush hour with entry and exit ensured to be smooth and convenient. There are 36 ticket counters in the terminal, among which 12 are for international flights. Besides, 12 major light current systems including flight dynamic display system and departure system are set up in the building, whose overall functions and technologies rank among the best domestically. The terminal equipped with facilities able to provide all-around services, has not only 2900 seats but also VIP lobbies and several lounges for firs-class cabins. And the international joint inspection hall in the terminal building of 9500 square meters possesses complete port supporting facilities including frontier defense, customs, inspection and quarantine, foreign currency exchange and duty-free shops. The 340,000 square meter station site is equipped with 12 aerobridges, 18 remote parking bays as well as plane docking guidance systems and hexagon aviation fuelling pipeline system. The aircraft maintenance is able to deal with the second-type repair of all types of planes and the third-type of repair of Boeing 737 and 757. Fire prevention and rescue facilities are also installed at the 9th level. The airport has complete all-around supporting facilities such as electricity supply facilities, water supply facilities, energy-saving facilities and other environment-friendly facilities with all equipment, vehicles and operation procedures of leading domestic or international levels. The beautiful sceneries of the airport with the greening rate as high as 40% makes itself a garden-like airport distinguished by “green, beauty, uniqueness and elegance”.

    With the acceleration of the economic integration and the furthering of opening-up in the Yangtze River Delta and the forming of coordination mechanism of various parties, a platform boosting of international capitals, technologies and talents in the city cluster of Yangtze River Delta is gradually coming into being, and a “Golden Industrial Band” around the Hangzhou Harbor under planning is also on its way, which will bring huge development opportunities for the air transport market there.