Air travelers can check in at Suzhou Urban Terminal and take a designated bus service to Pudong airport.

Air travelers will be able to check in at a new terminal in Shanghai's neighboring Suzhou City and catch designated transport to Pudong or Hongqiao airports, authorities said today.

The first Shanghai airport terminal outside the city will be a pilot project for Shanghai Airport Authority to develop multiple urban terminals in neighboring cities.

The airport authority will develop the Suzhou Urban Terminal project jointly with the management committee of Suzhou Industrial Park, the authority said Thursday.

The project is part of efforts to implement a national strategy to boost the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region.

The boundaries between Shanghai and other Yangtze River Delta cities are expected to become more blurred with the airport terminal and other intercity transport projects, the airport authority said.

The Suzhou Urban Terminal will be built in a core area of Tianmu Street along Jinji Lake. Air travelers will be able to buy tickets, check in luggage, get through a pre-luggage security check or take a rest in VIP lounges.

Multiple transport services, including buses and high-speed railway, will be available for travelers to catch their flights at Shanghai's two airports. They can also drive to Hongqiao or Pudong airports after checking in at Suzhou terminal.

A fast pass lane will open at both airports for people who had already checked in luggage at the Suzhou terminal. The luggage will be delivered directly to the aircraft. Some digital apps will be developed for travelers to follow their transit itinerary.

Duty-free shopping, office and recreational facilities will also be developed at the Suzhou terminal, the airport authority said.

Shanghai's airports have become the world's busiest, with over 130 million travelers a year and some 4.1 million tons of cargo.

According to the pilot project blueprint, a similar urban terminal will be set up in Jiaxing in Zhejiang Province.

Shanghai will also support the planning and construction of a new airport in Nantong in neighboring Jiangsu Province to consolidate the core status of the Shanghai international air hub.