HAIKOU - The coastal town of Boao in south China's Hainan province, also known as the host of the Boao Forum for Asia, will start constructing an airport this year.

A feasibility study for the airport has been approved by the country's top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission.

Construction work will start in the first half of the year, the study states, adding that the airport is expected to be completed and fully operational by the end of 2015.

The airport is being built with a total investment of 1.12 billion yuan ($180 million).

The airport will be able to accommodate 480,000 passengers and handle 1,440 tons of cargo annually by 2020.

Experts say the airport will facilitate traffic to Boao and Hainan, which is planning to build itself into a global tourism destination.

Access to Hainan, an island province, is somewhat limited. Air and ferry services are the primary methods used to reach the island.

The BFA was launched in 2001 as a platform for high-level leaders from government, business and academia to discuss pressing global and regional issues.