Shanghai thinks big, aims to be leading hub

Shanghai aims to become the leading international shipping, aviation and railway hub with enlarged transportation capacity by 2040, according to a draft of the city's master plan.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport will be expanded with services that will blend with the smaller Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. By 2040, the city, with two major airports, will handle about 160-180 million passengers annually. More than 20 percent of them will be passengers transferring to other flights, not stopping in the city, and more than 40 percent will be international tourists. Mail cargo will reach about 10 million pieces annually.

"We're working hard to level up our capability and efficiency in handling more passenger traffic, with a shorter inspection process and improved service to welcome more domestic and foreign passengers in the future," said Zhang Baoke, deputy director of the Shanghai Airport Immigration Inspection Station.