Chongqing - The world’s largest airport satellite hall, Terminal 3B at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, officially opened on April 9.

The first passengers to board the new terminal were those on Hainan Airlines flight HU7263 to Fuzhou and Air China flight CA1450 to Beijing, marking a new era for the airport.

On opening day, the terminal hosted 25 flights, with passengers benefiting from new facilities, including self-service ticketing, ID card scanning for security checks, face-scanning boarding, and wireless charging stations. A new check-in area and upgraded security checks also enhanced passenger convenience.

Terminal 3B is mainly where planes park. After clearing security at T3A, passengers going to gates J, K, L, or M must take a quick three-minute train ride to get to Terminal 3B.

"This monorail system has a large carrying capacity, minimal vibration, low noise, and a short construction period. It is the world's first fully automated straddle monorail at an airport, responsible for transporting passengers and staff between Terminals 3A and 3B," said Song Yongxue, deputy general manager, Electromechanical and Low Voltage Department of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport Expansion Headquarters

Additionally, the airport now features the first digital twin in civil aviation, creating a real-time, high-precision digital replica of the physical airport. This system improves operational efficiency by analyzing data for real-time diagnostics and future planning.

"We can predict airport operations for the next 3-4 hours, optimizing resources like security channels and boarding gates, and diagnosing potential bottlenecks," said Sun Ling, deputy general manager, Electromechanical and Low Voltage Department of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport Expansion Headquarters.

The new terminal is part of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport's expanded infrastructure, which now includes "3 terminals + 1 satellite hall + 4 runways." This expansion allows the airport to handle an annual passenger throughput of 80 million, a cargo and mail throughput of 1.2 million tons, and 580,000 aircraft movements, reinforcing the airport's position as a key international aviation hub.

(Huan Ran, as an intern, also contributed to the report.)