Construction of China's first amphibious airport began on November 7 in Yantai, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province.
The airport will be used for aircraft shuttling between Yantai and Dalian, a coastal city in northeast China's Liaoning Province.
The two cities face each other across a strait.
With a total investment of US$ 20 million, the airport was funded by Shandong Rainbow Co., Ltd., a joint venture by Shandong Airlines and a Canadian company. It covers an area of 3.3 ha, and has an 800-meter runway stretching from land to shore.
Shandong Rainbow has imported US-made amphibious airplanes to fly the 40-minute route between two cities.
The airport is scheduled to be completed and put into operation before the end of the year.
(People’s Daily 11/07/2000)