East China's Anhui Province will build a new airport during the 2006-2010 period, which is expected to handle eight million passengers annually, according to sources with the provincial civil aviation group, which was set up Wednesday.

The newly-established aviation group has forged a strategic partnership with the provincial highway corporation, which spent 380 million yuan (about US$47.5 million) and holds 45 percent of the shares of the group, and the remaining 55 percent shares go to the provincial state assets management commission.

An official with the commission said that the present airport only has an annual handling capacity of 1.8 million passengers.

Upon completion, the new airport is expected to encompass a logistics area, a bonded area, a high-tech processing area, and a conference hall.

(Xinhua News Agency November 10, 2005)