A futuristic new airport in Beijing, which is expected to become one of the busiest in the world, was opened yesterday by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
Xi declared the starfish-shaped airport open in brief remarks at a ceremony inside the huge terminal, days before the country holds a grand celebration to mark 70 years of rule by the Chinese Communist Party.
Located 46km south of Tiananmen Square, Beijing Daxing International Airport is to operate at full capacity in 2040, with eight runways and the potential to receive 100 million passengers per year.
Photo: AFP
The airport is seen as a fitting embodiment of the “Chinese dream” that Xi has offered his compatriots. Both foreign and domestic carriers have announced plans to move their operations to the new airport.
British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Finnair have announced their new routes to Daxing, to tap the potential of the new aviation hub.
The SkyTeam Alliance, including Delta, Air France and Royal Dutch Airlines, was expected to move over to the airport, along with their partners Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, but when contacted last week, Delta and Air France said that the decision whether to move airports had not yet been made.
The third-largest Chinese airline, Air China, is expected to keep flying the bulk of its flights from Beijing Capital International Airport.
“Switching airports can be a complex decision for airlines,” aviation analyst John Strickland said. “Airlines would prefer to see a new airport open and overcome teething problems before moving services from another well-tried and tested airport.”
The maiden flight from the airport is scheduled at 3:30pm, according to Chinese flight tracking app Umetrip.
At 700,000m2 — about the size of 100 soccer fields — the new structure is to be one of the world’s largest airport terminals.
The building was designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid.
Inside, it stands out for its flowing, curved lines and use of natural light that filters down to the lowest levels of the building through openings on the roof.
Underneath the terminal is a train station and metro line that is to provide services to the city center in 20 minutes.
The project cost 120 billion yuan (US$16.85 billion).
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