Design rendering of Jiaxing Airport. [Photo/WeChat account: jxfabu]

The reconstruction plan to transform the Air Force's airport in Jiaxing into a civil and military airport has received approval from the country, local media reported on Aug 16.

The plan states that the civil use part of the airport will include a 3,400-meter 4E class runway, a 2.57-square-meter terminal, a 27-stand airport apron, a control tower, and an oil depot.

The civil use part is expected to deliver 1.8 million passengers and 100,000 metric tons of cargo per year. It will be mainly used for travel, freight transport, as well as rescue and relief work.

Flights to Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and other cities in the country will be launched for passenger service, while flights to the main cities in China and other countries will be available for freight service.

The airport will fill a gap in Jiaxing's civil aviation transport, with a complete transportation network taking shape in the city.

"Jiaxing has been listed among national logistics cities and boasts promising development in logistics," said Gao Ping, an expert from the think tank of the Jiaxing municipal development and reform commission.

Jiaxing has the potential to grow into an air freight hub. The city has a solid industrial foundation with prosperous leather, woollen sweater, and electronic information industries, all of which are important contributors to the city's air freight industry.

In addition, YTO Express Group Co Ltd decided to invest 12.2 billion yuan ($1.72 billion) in building a global aviation logistics center in the city last year.

Jiaxing also plans to develop an airport economy, which will contribute to the city's high-quality development.