A bird's-eye view of Beijing Daxing International Airport, which is scheduled to open on Sept. 30. (Photo by Li Xiaofan/For China Daily)
Hub poised to spur growth in southern districts and nearby regions
Han Lu, 45, a businessman in the auto industry who travels frequently, is looking forward to Beijing Daxing International Airport opening－which is scheduled for Sept 30－because he lives in the south of the city.
"I usually spend more than one and a half hours getting to Beijing Capital International Airport from home. Hopefully, the new airport will save me an hour on the road," he said.
On the other hand, Wang Liu, 36, a marketing director whose company has headquarters in Shanghai, is worried that it may take her much longer to get to the new airport from her home in the northwest of Beijing.
"I fly to Shanghai four times a month on average, sometimes even more. China Eastern Airlines, whose flights I take most of the time, will move to the new airport, which probably means I will have to spend much more time getting there," she said. "It will be a problem for me."
Beijing Daxing International Airport, an 80 billion yuan ($11.6 billion) project, will affect or even change people's lives, including those of travelers from all over the world, Beijing residents, airline employees and people living in nearby areas such as Tianjin and Hebei province.
The airport, which will be the largest in the world when completed, will contribute to the global air transportation network and economic growth in Beijing's southern districts as well as nearby regions. It will also produce business opportunities for both domestic and foreign airlines, according to a government official and industry experts.
Key project
Cui Xiaohao, deputy head of the Beijing Commission of Development and Reform and deputy director of the new airport's office, said the facility is the key project for Beijing this year and will enable the capital to serve as the country's international communications, cultural, political and scientific innovation center.
"More than 100 million passengers used Beijing Capital International Airport last year, which is close to its capacity," Cui said. "The new airport will ease pressure on the existing one, giving it a chance to improve its facilities and service."
The Civil Aviation Administration of China predicts that the number of passengers using Beijing's airports annually will reach 150 million by 2025.
The new airport is designed to handle 45 million passengers annually by 2021 and 72 million by 2025. There are long-term plans to expand the number to 100 million, according to CAAC.
Cui said: "That will further improve Beijing's role as the international communications center of China by creating better airport conditions and airline services. The new airport will help balance Beijing's economic growth between the northern and southern areas of the city."
