Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport's terminal B will reopen on a limited basis today after three months of renovations to increase capacity.

Shanghai Airport Authority, the operator of the city's two airports, launched the renovation project on March 21, as part of efforts to increase the city's air traffic volume.

The airport operating company spent 29 million yuan (US$3.5 million) on the renovations.

The terminal now has 52 check-in counters, up from 10 previously. It also doubled the number of security passages.

Officials with the authority say they expect the renovations will improve the airport's efficiency at handling check-in procedures, and will allow Hongqiao to boast an annual passenger turnover of more than 20 million people.

The airport handled about 15 million passengers in 2004, much more than its designed capacity of 9.6 million.

The terminal will be used exclusively by China Eastern Airlines Co, the country's third-largest carrier by fleet size.

The carrier will use the terminal for a small number of flights during the first week of operations, before moving all of its counters to the building on July 8.

"The revamped building will increase our passenger handling capacity by one-third. It will also give us more room to add flights," said Zhang Ming, a China Eastern official.

Locally based China Eastern controlled about 40 percent of the Shanghai market by the end of last year, and the move to the revamped terminal will help the carrier realize its goal of securing 50 percent of the local market share this year.

(Shanghai Daily July 1, 2005)