The new Terminal 3 and the 5th runway of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport officially started operation on Thursday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport opened its long-awaited Terminal 3 and a new runway on Thursday, marking a major expansion that cements its position among the world's busiest air hubs.

The additions bring the airport's totals to three terminals and five runways, boosting its annual passenger capacity to 140 million and cargo capacity to 6 million metric tons.

Officials said the additions will help the airport meet surging travel demand across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, where annual passenger volume already exceeds 120 million.