Lishui Airport resembles a large white bird from above. [Photo/Tide News]

The final concrete pour of the Lishui Airport runway was completed on Oct 24, marking a significant milestone in the airport's construction and providing strong support for the upcoming calibration and test flights.

Nestled in the southwestern hills of Lishui, the airport began construction by leveling peaks and filling valleys. It is the highest-slope airport in East China, at an elevation of 162 meters.

The airport features a 2,800-meter-long, 45-meter-wide runway, a 12,000-square-meter terminal, and eight parking aprons. It is designed to accommodate large civil aircraft such as the Airbus A320, Boeing 737, and China's C919.

Construction began in July 2020, and since then many challenges have been overcome, such as complex geological conditions, difficult high-fill settlement control, and numerous external constraints.

To date, all 18 individual buildings have passed final inspections, and the aviation fuel supply project is undergoing trial operations. Other projects including the terminal's interior finishing and security equipment are 90 percent complete. The airport is expected to be ready for calibration flights by the end of November.

The Lishui Airport is a crucial part of the regional airport network and aims to leverage Lishui's rich tourism and cultural offerings, becoming a distinctive hub for tourism and general aviation, according to a representative from the Zhejiang Provincial Airport Group Co.

The airport plans to offer flights to major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Chengdu.