Shanghai's two airports are expected to serve a total of 84 million tourists and five million tons of cargo during the 2010 World Expo, say officials from the Shanghai Air Traffic Management Bureau.

"It is clear that it may create a big pressure on both Hongqiao and Pudong during the Expo," says Wang Guangdi, the authority's vice president.

To cater for the demand, the city has started construction projects to add a new terminal and runway at Hongqiao. The project, which will cover a total of 26.2km², and is expected to be completed by 2010.

Meanwhile, Terminal 1 at Pudong will also be refurbished, says Shan Chuanbo, a senior official with China Eastern Airlines. The number of air bridges at Pudong's Terminal 1 will be expanded from 28 to up to 35. Renovation of the boarding gates to separate departing and arriving passengers will also be undertaken. A 7,000m² area will be built at the terminal for new VIP rooms and transfer areas, says Shan.

However, the committee members, airlines and the airport authority have expressed concerns over the city's urban road transport capacity to match the increased air passenger volumes, as Hongqiao and Pudong still lack Metro lines or expressways for passengers travelling between downtown areas and the airports.

Construction of a transport hub has started on the west side of Hongqiao, where express railway stations will connect Shanghai and Beijing and Shanghai and Nanjing.