Pudong Airport bonded area approved

Aug. 11, 2009 (China Knowledge) - The municipal government of Shanghai has obtained approval from the State Council, China's cabinet, to build a bonded area in Shanghai Pudong International Airport, said a local official, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.

The tax-free bonded area will be the first bonded area at an airport in mainland China and will cover an area of about 4 square kilometers, according to the report.

The move will help Shanghai become an international center for shipping, said Chen Xuyuan, president of Shanghai International Port (Group) Co.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport is a major aviation hub in Asia, particularly in the East Asian region. It is the main hub for China Eastern Airlines Ltd<600115><0670><CEA>, the country's third-largest carrier, and for Shanghai Airlines Co Ltd<600591>.

The airport handled 2.63 million tons of cargo in 2008. It is the third-busiest airport in the world in terms of freight traffic. It handled a total of 28.24 million passengers last year, making the airport the busiest one in mainland China.