Construction of a new airport in Bo'ao on the southernmost tropical island province of Hainan began on Thursday.

The new airport is expected to be operational before the 2017 Bo'ao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference.

The BFA is an annual gathering that brings together state leaders, government officials, businessmen and academics from across Asia.

The airport is located in Qionghai City, about 15 kilometers from the BFA conference center. The airport project was approved in 2011.

The airport has a projected cost of 1.13 billion yuan (184 million US dollars), and is designed to handle 4,950 flights, or 480,000 passengers and 1,440 tonnes of cargo, annually.