Pictured above: Abacus's Group Managing Director, Andrew Morris-Richardson

China has chosen Nottinghamshire-based Abacus Lighting to illuminate the country's largest new airport construction project, Kunming New International Airport.

Set for completion in early 2012, the airport will replace the current Wujajiba city airport and have the capacity to accommodate a staggering 60 million passengers annually - reaffirming Kunming's ancient role as a gateway between China and the world.

Kunming - known as 'The City of Eternal Spring' for its pleasant climate and all year round flowers - was the gateway to the celebrated Silk Road that facilitated trade with Tibet, Sichuan, Myanmar and India. Today it is the political, economical and cultural centre Yunnan Province as well as the most popular tourist destination in southwest China.

The new airport promises to be the main hub for South East Asia, linking China with countries including Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and also securing valuable routes to countries across the globe. It is also hoped the airport will play a pivotal role in the economic development of over 50 square kilometres outside the city of Kunming.

Earlier this year, Abacus opened its brand new state-of-the art manufacturing facility in Shanghai. The new facility showcases the most advanced technologies in lighting manufacturing production and is set to boost Abacus's innovation in the region and worldwide.

Abacus's Group Managing Director, Andrew Morris-Richardson, said: "We are proud and delighted that Abacus Shanghai has won the apron lighting order at Kunming airport - the newest and most major airport construction project in China at the moment.

"With its first class design, engineering, installation and after sales capability, Abacus is well known in the China market, and the region, for its excellent and hard-won reputation as a world leader in exterior lighting." 

Abacus will supply over 80 of its patented raising and lowering winch masts carrying a total of 550 floodlights to meet the airport's design specification of an average 25 lux.

Abacus's airport floodlighting solutions can already be found at China's Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, Wuhan Tianhe International Airport as well as Leeds Bradford Airport here in the UK. Other international projects include Kiev International Airport, Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, Sangster International Airport and Jamaica's Norman Manley International Airport.