Beijing's new mega-airport, which is set to open later this year, is expected to accommodate as many as 72 million travelers annually by 2025, according to a statement from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The new Beijing Daxing International Airport is said to be the solution to the growing congestion at the Beijing Capital International Airport and sits 46 kilometers south of the downtown area.
By 2021, the airport is predicted to handle as many as 45 million passengers a year as it takes much of the load off the city's currently overcrowded terminal, plus its own new flights by different local and international carriers. The Beijing Daxing airport is strategically located at the border of Langfang and Daxing District, which is a good distance from the existing airport, but still accessible enough for the majority.
At present, the Beijing Capital airport handles over 100 million passengers annually, making it the world's busiest in terms of passenger numbers. This will likely go down to 82 million per day and then reduce further as the Daxing's operations stabilize and expand. For starters, the new airport will house flights by China Southern Airlines, Beijing Capital Airlines, China United Airlines, and China Eastern Airlines, writes China Daily. Meanwhile, flights by Grand China Air, Air China, and Hainan Airlines will remain at Beijing Capital.
International carriers will also be given the choice whether to use the existing or the new one, or land in/depart from both locations. China Postal Airlines will be required to choose just one airport, however, according to Reuters.
The CAAC said the relocation activities start in the winter of 2019 to the winter of 2021, after which Beijing Daxing is expected to be fully operational. With all these said, Daxing is expected to become one of the world's busiest airports by 2025.
