(Photo) Shanghai Pudong airport conducts dummy operation for new terminal

Photo taken on March 7, 2008 shows the interior of newly-built No.2 terminal building of the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China's second largest air terminal building conducted lately a dummy operation which is prepared for its real operations later this month.

The Shanghai Pudong International Airport invited about 1,300 people to perform like passengers who checked in their luggage at departures, passed through security checks, boarded on airplanes and claimed their luggage at arrivals, in order to test function and operation of its newly-built Terminal 2, which is the second largest in floor space to the Beijing International Airport Terminal 3.

Lights of newly-built No.2 terminal building of the Pudong International Airport are turned on for trial operation in Shanghai, east China, March 7, 2008. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Shanghai built the new terminal catering to continuous growth of passenger and cargo flows in and out of the most populous city in China's east coast. The Beijing Olympics in August and the Shanghai World Expo 2010 will lead to new tides of air transportation.

Terminal 2 is expected to be in use on March 26, which is the same date to when the Beijing International Airport Terminal 3 opens itself to the full function.

Photo taken on March 7, 2008 shows the interior of newly-built No.2 terminal building of the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

An official with the Pudong Airport said the new terminal was designed to transport 40 million passengers annually and its tarmac could be used for taking-off and landing of the super heavy Airbus 380.

Passengers could easily shuttle between terminal 1 and 2 in the airport. Besides Pudong, Shanghai also has a downtown airport named Hongqiao.

Photo taken on March 7, 2008 shows the exterior of newly-built No.2 terminal building of the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China. (Photo credit: Xinhua)