A sneak preview of Beijing's giant new airport

Ashwin Tombat
14 September 2007

The Americans like to say that everything's big in Texas. But as they're quickly finding out, in China it's even bigger! Just take a look at Beijing airport's new terminal. By Ashwin Tombat

It's a larger-than-life monument meant to showcase the world's most populous country when it hosts the greatest show on Earth. Its designers say it is built to resemble a dragon. Its structural plan pays homage to the architectural marvel that is Beijing's forbidden city.

Beijing airport's giant new Terminal 3, the latest part of the city's Olympic masterplan to be unveiled to the world, is another Chinese contribution to the record books, and another example of the country's overarching and world-beating ambition.

The Yuan27 billion ($3.6 billion) new Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport will open its doors in February 2008, well in time for the Beijing Olympics, to be held in August.

The Chinese government contributed Yuan4.8 billion ($640 million) for the expansion project, while Beijing Capital International Airport — a Hong Kong-listed company responsible for operating both aviation and non-aviation business at the airport — paid the remaining 22.2 billion ($2.96 billion).

The 986,000 sq-metre (10.6 million sq-ft) terminal is larger than Heathrow's four terminals put together. It is a vitally necessary addition for the overstrained airport, which has a design capacity of 35 million passengers, but last year handled 48.7 million.

To be mainly used by Air China and its partners in the Star Alliance — which it is set to join this year — the new terminal will raise the airport's capacity to around 66 million passengers, making it one of the world's five busiest airports. Soaring demand is likely to continue long after the Olympics.