Beijing's Dual Airports: A Travel Gateway To China's Capital

Beijing, the capital of China, is served by two major airports: Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). Beijing Capital International Airport is the world's busiest airport and the largest Chinese airport. Beijing Daxing International Airport is the biggest airport in the world in terms of terminal size and is currently the most modern and efficient airport globally.

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)

Beijing Airport was opened on 1 March 1958 and consisted of one small terminal building, which still stands today, and a single 2,500-metre runway. The airport has since expanded, and now has three terminals. Terminal 1 is the smallest, serving only domestic flights to major Chinese cities. Terminal 2 manages both international and domestic flights, while Terminal 3, also known as the Dragon Terminal, handles both international and domestic flights. Terminal 3 was completed in February 2008, in time for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, and was the largest man-made structure in the world in terms of area covered at the time.

Navigating the terminals can be challenging, and walking times and distances are often longer than expected. It is recommended that travellers allow for a greater time buffer (at least an additional hour) than they would at other airports. Signage and instructions may be inadequate, and finding helpful staff can be difficult. Queues can be chaotic, but the terminals are spacious.

There are several transport options for travelling between PEK and Beijing. Taxi is the best option for travellers arriving late or with a lot of luggage, although many taxi drivers speak limited English. The airport shuttle bus is the most inexpensive option and avoids the need to change subway lines or trains. The Airport Express Train is the fastest option but requires transferring to the busy subway system, which can be challenging with luggage.

Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX)

PKX is a hub for SkyTeam alliance airlines and some Oneworld members, while Hainan Airlines and most Star Alliance members operate from Beijing Capital International Airport. Several major domestic and international airlines operate from PKX, including Air China, Beijing Capital Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines.

The airport is served by various transport links, including a high-speed express train that connects the airport with Beijing West Railway Station in just 28 minutes. The airport also has two underground railway stations and three metro stations, although only one metro line and one railway line are currently in operation. A highway system, including the Beijing Daxing Airport Expressway and Beijing Daxing Airport North Line Expressway, also connects the airport with Beijing city.

PKX has four civilian runways and one military runway. The airport is expected to handle 100 million passengers a year by 2025, which would make it the busiest airport in the world. The airport has won several awards, including best hygiene measures and best in size and region in 2020 by Airports Council International.

PKX features a range of services and amenities, including cafes, restaurants, bars, baggage services, meet and greet services, pharmacies, medical services, banks, ATMs, currency exchange, baby care rooms, play areas, lounges, and spa facilities.

Beijing Capital Airport's Terminal 3

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is one of two airports serving Beijing, the capital of China. Terminal 3 (T3) is the newest terminal at the airport, which was completed in February 2008, just in time for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

Design and Construction

The terminal was designed by a consortium of Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO), Foster and Partners, Arup, and the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD). Lighting was designed by UK lighting architects Speirs and Major Associates. The terminal consists of three sub-concourses: T3-C, T3-D, and T3-E. T3-C is for domestic flights, while T3-E is for international flights. T3-D is also for domestic flights, specifically those operated by Air China.

T3 was constructed in two stages. Trial operations began on 29 February 2008, with seven airlines moving into the terminal. It then became fully operational on 26 March 2008, with twenty other airlines joining. The terminal has five floors above ground and two underground. The terminal features a main passenger terminal (Terminal 3C) and two satellite concourses (Terminals 3D and 3E). The letters "A" and "B" were omitted to avoid confusion with the existing Terminals 1 and 2.

The expansion cost US$3.5 billion and was largely funded by a 30 billion yen loan from Japan and a 500 million euro (US$625 million) loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Features and Amenities

T3 has a transportation hub with a 7,000-car garage. It also has 243 elevators, escalators, or moving walkways. The terminal boasts a US$240 million luggage-transfer system with yellow carts that match the bar code on each piece of luggage for easy tracking. The system can handle 19,200 pieces of luggage per hour.

The terminal provides 72 jetways and remote parking bays, bringing the total number of gates to 150. T3 also has an additional runway, increasing the airport's total capacity by 72 million passengers per year to approximately 90 million.

T3 has a food service area called the "global kitchen," with 72 stores offering a range of dining options, from formal dishes to fast food and Chinese to Western cuisine. There is also a 16,200 m2 domestic retail area, a 12,600 m2 duty-free store area, and a 7,200 m2 convenience service area with banks, business centres, and internet services.

Airlines and Destinations

T3 houses airlines including Air China, Shandong Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam members. The terminal serves various destinations, including Auckland, Bangkok, Barcelona, Beijing, Chicago, Dubai, Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Moscow, Munich, New York, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Vancouver, and Vienna.

Beijing Daxing Airport's Terminal Building

Beijing is served by two large airports: Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX).

Beijing Daxing International Airport is the biggest airport in the world by floor space and the second airport serving Beijing. The airport is located on the border of Beijing and Langfang, Hebei, 46km south of Tiananmen Square. The airport is 65km south of Beijing Capital International Airport and serves Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.

The airport's terminal building is the second-biggest in the world, after the New Istanbul Airport's terminal. The terminal covers an area of 700,000 square metres and is designed to process 100 million passengers every year. The building is designed to resemble a phoenix and features a central hub with six curved spokes. The terminal was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, ADP Ingénierie and the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD). The roof is a large-span, complex hyperboloid steel grid structure covering over 350,000 square metres. It is supported by giant C-shaped columns that seamlessly connect with the roof and consist of more than 170,000 steel members.

The terminal is designed to be a super transportation hub for Beijing. Three underground rail stations with a total area of 200,000 square metres are situated below the terminal building, with five railway lines giving passengers transport links for onward travel. The Daxing Airport Express of the Beijing Subway connects the airport to the urban area of Beijing. A high-speed railway service, the Beijing-Xiong'an intercity railway, also connects the airport to the urban area of Beijing, as well as Daxing District, Bazhou and Xiong'an. The airport is also served by a highway system, including the Beijing Daxing Airport Expressway and Beijing Daxing Airport North Line Expressway.

Beijing's First Airport

Beijing Capital International Airport is located 32km (20 miles) northeast of the city centre, in the Chaoyang-Sunyi District. It has three terminals. Terminal 1 is the smallest terminal, serving only domestic flights to major Chinese cities. Terminal 2 manages both international and domestic flights, and Terminal 3, also named the Dragon Terminal, handles both international and domestic flights.

The airport was opened on 1 March 1958, consisting of one small terminal building, which still stands today, and a single 2,500-metre runway. In 1966, the runway was extended to 3,200 metres, and in 1978, a second runway was added. In 1980, a new, larger Terminal 1 opened, with docks for 10-12 aircraft. However, by the mid-1990s, this had become inadequate, and in 1999, Terminal 2 opened, with Terminal 1 closing temporarily for renovation. Terminal 3, completed in 2008, was the largest man-made structure in the world in terms of area covered at the time.

Beijing Capital International Airport has undergone numerous expansions and renovations to keep up with the demand for air travel in Beijing. It has consistently held the top spot in terms of annual passenger transportation among domestic airports in China and, from 2010 to 2019, it was the second busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger transportation.

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