Transportation face-lift

The extensive deployment of robots at the terminal construction project offers three key insights, said Tang Shengling, senior consulting adviser at the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute.

"First, it provides a reference model for large public infrastructure, offering practical experience for future major projects such as airports, rail transit and large-scale public buildings. Second, the clustered use of robots is reshaping the construction industry's long-standing reliance on labor-intensive methods. Finally, it will help drive the development of upstream and downstream technologies and the broader supporting ecosystem," Tang said.

When operational, Terminal 3 is expected to further enhance Shanghai's position as an international aviation hub, and be a crucial cog in the Yangtze River Delta's regional airport cluster.

Zhang, the deputy director of the terminal engineering department, said after completion, the new terminal will add 50 million additional annual passenger trips to the airport's capacity. Shanghai Pudong International Airport received nearly 85 million passenger trips by the end of 2025, exceeding its design capacity of 80 million, he said.

"Terminal 3 is designed to enable Shanghai Pudong International Airport to handle 130 million passenger trips annually by 2035," Zhang said.