The global airport consultant, manager and investor, and the company wholly owned by Wuxi Municipal People's Government of China, said the new JV will operate and manage five key areas of the airport's non-aeronautical business on an exclusive concessionary basis for 20 years.

This comprises retail (including duty-free shops), food and beverage, advertisement, car park and passenger services at the airport's passenger terminals.

The scope also includes the future Terminal 3 and ground transportation centre.

Wuxi Shuofang International Airport is the primary hub serving Wuxi and Suzhou in southern Jiangsu, China. It is situated within the Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone, one of China's main economic and commercial centres and home to many of the world's top exporters of electronic equipment, chemicals, and textiles.

At the start of 2024, the airport is connected to 42 domestic destinations and six international destinations for passenger flights.

Eugene Gan, chief executive officer of CAI, said, "Wuxi Shuofang International Airport plays a pivotal role in advancing Jiangsu province's economic and tourism development. We are deeply honoured and excited to start a new partnership with Wuxi Airport Group to jointly uplift the commercial positioning of Shuofang Airport."

"CAI will leverage its deep knowledge of the Chinese market and industry expertise to enhance the non-aeronautical performance of Shuofang Airport," he added.