(Yicai Global) April 9 -- The expansion project of the Urumqi Diwopu International Airport in China's northwestern Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region is set to break ground soon after getting the nod from the country's planning agency the National Development and Reform Commission in November and funding of CNY42.1 billion (USD6.3 billion).

Slated to start operating in 2022, the expansion will include a new terminal and two new runways designed to accommodate the world's largest aircraft. These additions will ease the pressure of growing ranks of domestic tourists, state-backed Xinhua News Agency reported.

Of the project's financing, 70% will come from a capital fund to which the NDRC will allocate CNY29.6 billion, China's civil aviation bureau will contribute CNY7 billion, with Urumqi's city government to make up the rest.   

Xinjiang's developing tourism pushed its passenger traffic to 33.5 million last year and its cargo and mail volume to 191,800 tons, up a respective 11.4 percent and 2.3 percent annually, which significantly raises the bar for its air transport capacity.

As the regional capital, Urumqi is a key node in China's Belt and Road initiative to revive its ancient trade routes. It has air links with Russia, the UAE, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The airport is also the air traffic hub for far Northwest China.

The region is also accelerating its construction of airports, of which it already has 21 civilian ones in use, along with 244 routes that weave a network covering the entire region centered on the capital.

The city also has a scheme in the works for an airport economic zone for it to better serve as a central city and build an aerial silk road in tandem with the expansion, said Li Ren, deputy director of the commission's local office.

Editor: Ben Armour