SHA makes more sense than PVG anyway

Yesterday, we read with interest a few news stories about the approval of a 15.3 billion yuan (US$1.9 billion) expansion of the Hongqiao Airport. By 2010 (of course) there should be a new runway, a new 250,000 square meter terminal, and access to high-speed trains, inter-city trains and subways all at the airport. This all sounds great: Shanghai's most conveniently located airport gets even more convenient (hopefully they do something about the long taxi lines, too). But nowhere in the stories did we see what we really wanted to see — that Hongqiao would once again start living up to the word "International" that still appears on some of its signs. Ninety-five percent of the time we fly in or out of Shanghai we have to schlep all the way to the fun vacuum that is Pudong International. Shanghaiist would like to start a grassroots civic campaign (China loves those, right?) to make Pudong the city's domestic airport and newly improved Hongqiao the international hub, or at least encourage them to share. Anyone want to sign our petition?

Image from easygoal.