Beijing opens massive new airport
China has officially opened a vast, multibillion-dollar airport in the country’s capital ahead of its National Day.
The 450 billion yuan (about NZ$100 billion) Daxing International Airport was launched in late September in a ceremony attended by President Xi Jinping.
The new mega-airport was designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid and her Chinese partners in the shape of a starfish with five connected concourses. It is said to have no more than 600 metres – about eight minutes’ walk – between security checkpoints and the furthest gates.
At 700,000 square metres – about the size of nearly 100 football pitches – the airport boasts four runways and is expected to handle 72 million passengers annually by 2025.
Budget carrier China United Airlines will be the sole operator at Daxing until October 27, when other Chinese and foreign airlines will begin flights to the new airport.
Critics have expressed concern that Daxing, the second airport in Beijing, will exacerbate traffic jams and flight delays.
Officials said the new airport will alleviate traffic pressure around the existing Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) in the city’s north-east, and reduce delays through its multi-directional runway design.
China is projected to overtake the United States as the world’s largest air travel market by 2022.