Kunming Xiaoshao International Airport is entering the final phase of its construction and the inaugural flight is expected to take off in December this year, Chinanews.com reported Saturday, citing the Yunnan government.

It is said that up to 17.144 billion yuan has been invested to build the new Kunming airport. Currently, the construction of the new Kunming airport is nearing completion and the main project has entered into the stage of acceptance inspection.

The new airport is located in Guandu District about 25 km east of downtown Kunming. It will be an important link to Southeast Asia and Eurasia, according to the planning division of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The new airport has 4 runways (versus the single runway at Wujiaba), and is expected to handle 38 million passengers per year by 2020.

When completed, the new Kunming airport will become the fourth largest in the country, after Beijing, Shanghai-Pudong and Guangzhou. Separately, the airport can provide service for Airbus A380 Superjumbo.