ShanghaiPudongInternationalAirport(IATA:PVG,ICAO:ZSPD)(SSE:600009)isanairportlocatedintheeasternpartofPudongdistrictofShanghai,China.ItisamajorinternationalgatewayintoChina,handling17.15millionpassengersoninternationalflightsin2006,ofwhich9millionareforeigners,andbeatingBeijingCapitalInternationalAirport's12.6millioninternationalpassengers[1].TheairportisthemainhubforChinaEasternAirlinesandShanghaiAirlines.UnitedParcelServicewillopenahubattheairportin2008.[2]ShanghaiPudongInternationalAirportiscurfewfreeandoperates24hoursadaydependingwhetheritspassengerorlogistics.[3]
BeforetheopeningofShanghaiPudongInternationalAirport,ShanghaiHongqiaoInternationalAirportusedtobemainairportofShanghai.Duringthe1990's,theexpansionofHongqiaowasimpossiblewhenthecitygrewandsurroundedHongqiao.SothenthegovernmenthadtolookforanalternativeforShanghaiHongqiaoInternationalAirporttotakeallofitsinternationalflights.AparticularplacewasatthecoastofthePudongdevelopmentzonetotheEastofShanghai.
TheairportopenedonOctober1,1999,replacingShanghaiHongqiaoInternationalAirportasShanghai'sinternationalairportandtakingoverallofitsinternationalflights,includingregionalflightstoHongKongandMacau(limitedinternationalserviceswillresumeatHongqiaofromOctober2007[4]).AsecondidenticalrunwaywasopenedonMarch17,2005,thethirdrunwaysettobecomeoperationalinthe4thquarterof2007andafourthrunwayinplanningstage.Thesecondterminalisnearlycompleteandscheduledtoopenbytheendof2007.Thelong-termplancallsforatotalofthreeterminals,twosatellitehallsandfiveparallelrunways,forafinalcapacityof80millionpassengersperyear.
Transrapidconstructedthefirstcommercialhigh-speedmaglevrailwayintheworld,fromthePudongInternationalAirporttoLongYangRoadMetrostation.Itwasinauguratedin2002.Ithasapeakspeedof431km/handatracklengthof30km.
Theairportwaslargelyfundedbya40billionyen400millionUSD)grantfromJapan.In2004,theairporthandlednearly500flightsperday,carryingmorethan21millionpassengersperyearinandoutofChina'smostpopulatedcity.SincePudonghandlesmanyairlinesatrushhourtimes,mostplaneshavetoparkontheapron.Inordertosolvethisproblem,PudongistoopenTerminal2bytheendof2007,whichwillbelocatedbehindtheTerminal1,theonlyterminalatthistimeforanadditionalcapacityof40millionpassengersayear.Halfofterminal2willdedicatedtoalloftheStarAlliancecarriers.
ShanghaiPudongInternationalAirportisranked6thbusiestintermsofcargotraffic,and28thintermsofininternationalpassengertraffic.Itisalsoranked40thinPassengertraffic,carrying26,790,826passengersinandoutoftheairport.Itis8thbusiestairportinAsiainpassengertraffic.
Recently,ChinaSouthernAirlinesstatedthatShanghaiPudongInternationalAirportwillbehometoitsfiveAirbusA380s,howeverthereisnostatementifChinaSouthernAirlineswillhaveahubinShanghaiPudongInternationalAirport.