A NEW civil airport in Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, will open for services Saturday, local authorities announced Tuesday.

The new airport is located in the Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County in Shaoguan. It is approximately 60 kilometers from Danxia Mountain, a nationally renowned scenic spot with a 5A rating, and about 50 kilometers from Nanhua Temple, a famous Buddhist temple in China.

With a designed potential annual passenger throughput of 2 million, the airport is capable of handling 4,000 tons of cargo and mail every year. It is expected to see 9,500 airplanes take off and land annually.

The airport plans to launch air routes linking several major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanning, Hangzhou and Kunming.

Guangdong currently has nine civil airports, including the new Shaoguan airport.

(Xinhua)