China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corp. Ltd, the contractor of Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, recently announced the successful completion of the whole project.

A gateway airport to Northeast Asia, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport was designed to meet the highest international operating standards. The new airport is located in Jiaozhou City, about 39 kilometers from the urban center of Qingdao, with a phase-1 construction area of 16 square kilometers. After project completion, the new airport will be able to serve about 35 million passengers a year, handle about 500,000 metric tons of cargo, and allow 298,000 landings and takeoffs.

World’s largest ultra-thin stainless steel roof

The starfish-shaped terminal building features the world's largest single piece of stainless steel roof, which covers a total area of 223,000 square meters. The stainless steel plate is made of ultra-pure ferrite, and is as thin as a piece of A4 paper (0.5 millimeters in thickness). All the joints are continuously welded to form a seamless steel plate, fundamentally ensuring the waterproofing reliability of the roof system.

Huge capacity

The core area of Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport covers an area of 30.66 square kilometers. The runways and taxiways can handle the landing and takeoff of the world’s largest aircraft like the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747. When put into operation, the airport can serve the landing or takeoff of a plane every 73 seconds.

First ‘Sponge Airport’ in the country

The terminal building of the airport has been designed according to the nation's highest standards for conserving water, energy, land, and other resources. It is the first airport in China to introduce the eco-friendly “sponge concept,” featuring an independent energy center to save energy and protect the environment.

Project milestones (2015-2020)

June 2015 - Groundbreaking ceremony

June 2016 - Hoisting of the first steel ball in the terminal building

April 2017 – Start of construction phase starts

October 2018 – Start of testing phase

September 2019 - Start of large-scale decoration and equipment installation

June 2020 - Terminal building construction and civil aviation professional project pass completion acceptance. Project completion