Environmental study before building offshore airport

Dalian's new airport is going to cost around 10-billion yuan, or some one and half billion US dollars, to complete.

Apart from the economic concerns, Professor Zeng Xiaoqi with the Ocean University of China says offshore airports can also affect the biodiversity of the sea.

"Firstly, the water is home to local marine life. They will lose habitat. The shallow beach and wetlands are where fish and shrimp fry grow; it's also where seabirds forage. That disappears after land is reclaimed. This is the direct impact. Indirectly, the noise during construction, the crush caused by intense sea waves and an increase in sediment can all change the underwater environment."

Professor Zeng says an environmental impact study is indispensable before any project like this can start.

Wang Yanan from Aerospace Knowledge says he agrees.

"The decision to build an offshore airport should be based on the approval from environmental authorities, because the construction could lead to irreversible damage to the environment."

Wang also says assessments need to be focused on the long-term, not only predicting the immediate problems, but also its ecological and economic impact to the region over the next 50 years.