Beijing Daxing International Airport

Beijing Daxing International Airport (IATA: PKX, ICAO: ZBAD) is one of two international airports serving Beijing, the capital of China, with the other being Beijing Capital International Airport. Located on the border of Beijing and Langfang, Hebei, the airport is known for its unique starfish-shaped terminal. It began operations on September 26, 2019, after almost five years of construction.

Covering 2,679 hectares (6,620 acres), the airport has four civilian runways and can serve the entire Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei region. It is 46 kilometers south of Beijing city centre and 65 kilometers south of Beijing Capital International Airport. The airport features the world's largest single-building airport terminal, spanning 700,000 m² (7,500,000 sq ft), and sits on 47 km² (18 sq mi) of land. It has received awards for hygiene measures and size from Airports Council International.

Development history

A third airport for Beijing was suggested in 2008. By 2012, the existing Beijing Capital International Airport was almost at full capacity.

Early reports in 2011 suggested the new airport could have up to nine runways: eight for regular flights and one for military use. It would replace Beijing Capital International Airport as Beijing's main airport and be the largest in China. The airport was planned to handle between 120 to 200 million passengers each year, which would make it the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic.

Construction was officially approved on December 22, 2014, to be built in the southern part of Daxing District of Beijing, along the border with Hebei Province. It was planned to have 7 runways, 6 for regular flights and 1 for military use. Construction finished in September 2019 with a capacity to handle 75 million passengers by 2025. The construction cost was estimated to be at least 70 billion RMB (US$11.2 billion).

The airport's design features a central hub with six curved spokes, shaped like a starfish. It includes connections to high-speed rail, metro, and bus routes. The terminal building was designed by British architects Zaha Hadid Architects, with help from other design firms.

Construction began on December 26, 2014. By March 2017, the terminal's concrete structure was completed. On June 30, 2019, the airport finished construction and prepared for its September opening. The total cost was CN¥450bn (US$63bn).

The airport opened on September 25, 2019, just six days before the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. The Chinese president and General Secretary of the Communist Party Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony. The first official flight was an Airbus A380 operated by China Southern Airlines. Public flights began the next day, September 26, 2019. The airport became a hub for China United Airlines, with other airlines planning to move there as well.

Airport facilities

The first part of the airport is built to handle up to 72 million passengers, 2 million tons of cargo and mail, and 620,000 airplane takeoffs and landings over time.

The airport uses special technology such as tracking bags with radio signals, using the earth's heat for temperature control, and checking faces for security.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Ground transportation

Main article: Daxing Jichang (Daxing Airport) station

The airport has many ways to get to and from the city. There is a special area under the main building just for transportation. This area has underground train stations for fast trains and city subways. Right now, one subway line, called the Daxing Airport Express, and one fast train line, the Beijing–Xiong'an intercity railway, are working. There are also big roads, like the Beijing Daxing Airport Expressway, that help people drive to the airport.

Intercity rail

A very fast train called the Beijing–Xiong'an intercity railway starts from Beijing West railway station. It goes from Beijing city through Daxing District and Bazhou to the airport. The part from the airport to Beijing started on 26 September 2019 and takes about 28 minutes. Another fast train, the Intercity Railway Connector, will connect Langfang, Yizhuang, and Tongzhou District to the airport. The first part of this train line is being built and will finish in December 2022. There is also a plan for a fast train from Tianjin West railway station to the airport, which may start in early 2023.

Subway

The Daxing Airport Express is a subway line that connects the airport to Beijing city. It started on 26 September 2019 and goes from Caoqiao station to the airport. Plans are to extend this line north to Lize Shangwuqu and south to Xiong'an.

Statistics

Here are some numbers about how many people used Beijing Daxing International Airport in 2022.

^1: The numbers for 2019 only include the last four months because that’s when the airport opened.

Climate

The climate around Beijing Daxing International Airport is typical for the region, with cold winters and warm summers. This affects how the airport operates throughout the year, ensuring comfort and safety for all travelers.