China is no longer just the most populous country in the world. It has also become the world's second-biggest economy and on Wednesday, it may have taken a giant step towards potentially overtaking the United States' aviation market as its new Daxing airport took the attention of British Airways.
According to CNN, British Airways confirmed on Wednesday that it will move from its Beijing operations to the Daxing airport that's scheduled for a grand opening on September 30. Industry analysts said the move is a nod to the 2018 forecast that China is getting closer and closer to the U.S. in terms of aviation market growth.
Under the new deal, British Airways will become the first international airline to be part of Daxing airport's clientele. It is unlikely that the interest in the new airport will stop here, experts said.
The Chinese government has been hard at work in constructing new airports all around the country. The scheme was established after the International Air Transport Association said last year that China's aviation market has the power and capacity to overtake the U.S.
Daxing airport's construction was initiated due to the influx of passengers at the Beijing Capital International Airport. The latter was supposed to handle up to 82 million passengers and travelers but the figures were always exceeded.
It appears that many other airline companies are considering to follow after British Airways. Poland's LOT Polish Airlines announced plans to operating in Daxing and Finland's Finnair already committed to making a move to the new airport.
Daxing's five-year goal is to accommodate around 72 million passengers. Fifteen years later, the airport plans to increase the numbers by 100 million - which is not impossible, considering the influx of air travels in China.
China's new airport is expected to gain more attention in the coming months leading to the opening. The airport already promised faster transfer services as well as easier check-in processes.
The lead architect of the Asia Pacific office of the French designer ADP Inginiere, Jean-Charles Content, noted that all passengers will experience more convenience since the design was centered on the needs of air travelers.
Content added that while transit trains will not be seen during the Daxing airport's opening yet, "space has been reserved" for a rapid transit system once the passenger number hits 72 million.
Daxing airport is expected to become the main attraction in the capital city of China and could help boost tourism since it will feature high levels of convenience that both domestic and international passengers will appreciate.
