Shenzhen company secures major boarding bridge contract at new Chengdu airport

China's major boarding bridge provider Shenzhen CIMC-TianDa Airport Support Ltd has secured a 518.5-million-yuan ($73 million) order to make boarding bridges for Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, making it the largest single order in the sector in the country so far.

The Shenzhen-based company in South China's Guangdong province will produce 127 boarding bridges, 68 fixed bridges and 195 aircraft ground air-conditioning devices for the airport.

The Chengdu airport, which is expected to come into service by 2021, will become the largest airport in Southwest China, with an expected capacity of 90 million passengers a year.

It also will serve as the country's important aerial portal for Europe, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Middle East regions.

At the present time, CIMC-TianDa accounts for about 40 percent of the world's boarding bridge market, with its business covering nearly 300 airports in over 70 countries and regions globally. More than 6,000 boarding bridges have been or are expected to be delivered.

The company also is ramping up efforts to develop intelligent products to help build "smart" airports.

For example, the world's first intelligent driverless boarding bridge, developed by CIMC-TianDa, officially came into operation at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in September, with the ability to finish aircraft docking within 48 seconds.

"Apart from boarding bridges, we also are actively working on developing other smart equipment used in airports. We will make use of our advanced and intelligent devices to help build smart airports across the world," Chen Zhe, deputy general manager of CIMC-TianDa, said.