The Guangzhou New Baiyun International Airport will officially open August 5 after nearly four years of construction.

Speaking at a conference Tuesday, Guangzhou Mayor Zhang Guangning required relevant departments to work together to guarantee the airport relocation work was successful.

A final rehearsal will be held at the end of the month before the inauguration ceremony August 2. The rehearsal will involve all departments at the new airport including traffic control, airlines, customs and bus companies to resolve problems found in past tests. The airport passed State appraisal at the end of last month.

The existing Baiyun Airport will be closed when the new airport opens.

The new airport will have 24-hour customs service. After the opening, Guangzhou will apply for visa-free passage for foreign travelers in transit for 48 hours.

The 19.8 billion yuan (US$2.37 billion) project is one of the top three aviation terminals in China.

Its annual passenger handling capacity is expected reach 25 million to 27 million. Its freight volume is expected to reach 1 million tons, doubling that of the existing Baiyun Airport.

The new airport was designed by Parsons Corp. and URS Greiner Corp., both of the United States, and the Guangdong Provincial Architectural Design Institute.

Editor: Donald