China has launched a project to relocate an airport in southern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, local aviation officials said on Monday.

Located in Sinir township, 17 km south of Korla city, the new Korla Airport project is estimated to cost 457.4 million yuan (US$55.7 million) with funding from central and local governments.

The new airport was designed to meet the projected demand of the aviation sector in the year 2010, and it will serve as a standby airport for international flights according to its long-term development program.

The airport will the second largest after Urumqi International Airport in the vast, land-locked region of Xinjiang.

The project is expected to be ready for trial operation by June2005, local aviation officials said.

(People's Daily July 21, 2003)