Kunming airport officials are talking to Germany-based Fraport to help with the US$1.9 billion airport that is slated to begin construction this year. The airport in Kunming is targeted to open in 2008.

Fraport currently owns the Frankfurt Airport in Germany, and news reports say Fraport is also considering a 25% stake in the Ningbo Airport, which is near Shanghai.

Kunming is currently the seventh-busiest airport in China and handled almost 10 million passengers in 2004. The new Kunming airport will have an annual capacity of 25 million passengers.