China's latest mega-airport is officially open

China's long-awaited Chengdu Tianfu International Airport has officially begun operations, offering travelers a new gateway to Sichuan province. Its inaugural flight, operated by Sichuan Airlines, took off at 11:10 a.m. on Sunday, bound for Beijing. Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, is now the third city in the country to have two international airports, joining Shanghai and Beijing. Constructed at a cost of about 70b Chinese yuan ($10.8b), phase one of Chengdu Tianfu International Airport has the capacity to handle up to 60m passengers per year, further opening up the country's southwest region. Three runways and two terminals, covering a total area of 710,000 square meters, are in operation. State media outlet Xinhua reported the airport will eventually house terminals covering 1.4m square meters, capable of handling 120m passengers annually.<br/>