Photo taken on June 25, 2012 shows the Kunming Changshui International Airport in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunan Province. Construction on the Kunming Changshui International Airport, a hub airport in southwest China's Yunnan province, was completed on Tuesday, with the airport expected to go into operation on Thursday. (Xinhua/Qin Qing)

Photo taken on June 25, 2012 shows the Kunming Changshui International Airport in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunan Province. Construction on the Kunming Changshui International Airport, a hub airport in southwest China's Yunnan province, was completed on Tuesday, with the airport expected to go into operation on Thursday. (Xinhua/Qin Qing)

KUNMING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Construction on the Kunming Changshui International Airport, a hub airport in southwest China's Yunnan province, was completed on Tuesday, with the airport expected to go into operation on Thursday.

The airport, built with a total investment of 23 billion yuan (3.6 billion U.S. dollars) will act as an aviation hub for southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe, according to the airport's construction headquarters.

Passenger flight service in and out of the provincial capital of Kunming will be switched from the 90-year-old Wujiaba International Airport to the Changshui International Airport on Thursday.

The airport, located 24.5 km away from downtown Kunming, will have an initial annual throughput of 38 million passengers and 950,000 tonnes of cargo. It will be able to handle 303,000 flights per year.

The airport's long-term annual throughput will be 65 million passengers and 2.3 million tonnes of cargo, according to the headquarters.