By Joe Bates

Kunming's new $3 billion airport will boast apron lighting provided by Abacus when it opens in early 2012.

The gateway, which will replace the capacity constrained Kunming–Wujiaba International Airport, is currently China's largest construction project.

Upon opening, Kunming Xiaoshan International Airport will be equipped with two 4,000m runways and a partially solar powered 400,000sqm terminal capable of handling up to 27 million passengers per annum.

Rapidly rising demand in China, however, ensures that the terminal – designed by UK based engineering consultancy Arup in collaboration with a Chinese design team – can be expanded in the future to accommodate up to 60mppa.

Luise Schafer, Abacus’s Shanghai-based vice chairman, says: “We are proud and delighted that Abacus Shanghai has won the apron lighting order at Kunming Xiaoshan, China's newest and most major airport construction project."

Abacus will supply over 80 of its patented raising and lowering winch masts carrying a total of 550 floodlights to meet the airport’s design specification of an average 25 lux.

Abacus’s airport floodlighting solutions can already be found at Wuhan Tianhe and Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao airports in Mainland China as well as at Hong Kong International Airport.



Kunming's new airport promises to be a key hub for South East Asia. It is also hoped the airport will play a pivotal role in the economic development of over 50 square kilometres outside the city of Kunming.