Beijing Capital International Airport

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Beijing Capital International Airport
北京首都国际机场
Běijīng Shǒudū Guójì Jīchǎng


The new Terminal 3


Logo of Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited
IATA: officially : PEK
unofficial : BJS – ICAO: ZBAA
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Civil Aviation Administration of China
Serves Beijing
Location Chaoyang District, Beijing
Elevation AMSL 116 ft / 35 m
Coordinates 40°04′48″N 116°35′04″E / 40.08, 116.58444
Website www.bcia.com.cn
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
18L/36R 3,800 12,468 Asphalt
18R/36L 3,800 10,499 Asphalt
01/19 5,200 14,930 Asphalt
Statistics (2007)
Passengers 53,736,923
Aircraft movements 399,986
Statistics from Airports Council International[1]

Beijing Capital International Airport, (simplified Chinese: 北京首都国际机场; traditional Chinese: 北京首都國際機場; pinyin: Běijīng Shǒudū Guójì Jīchǎng) (IATA: PEK, ICAO: ZBAA) is the main international airport that serves the capital city of Beijing, People's Republic of China. The IATA Airport Code is PEK, reflecting Beijing's former Romanization Peking. The code BJS is also frequently used, reflecting the current pinyin spelling of Beijing and including all airports in the Beijing metropolitan area; currently, Beijing Capital (PEK) is the only civil aviation airport that falls under BJS.

The airport is located 20 km to the northeast of Beijing city center. Although many consider it to lie in Shunyi District, it is, in fact, an exclave of Chaoyang District, Beijing.

The airport is a primary hub of operations for Air China, which flies to around 120 destinations (excluding cargo). It is also a hub for Hainan Airlines and China Southern Airlines. The airport expansion is largely funded by a 500-million-euro (USD 625 million) loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The loan is the largest ever granted by the EIB in Asia; the agreement was signed during the eighth China-EU Summit held in September 2005.[citation needed]

Beijing Capital is today the busiest airport in the People's Republic of China, having registered double-digit growth annually since the SARS crisis of 2003. In 2004, it became the busiest airport in Asia by aircraft movements, overtaking Tokyo International Airport (Haneda). In terms of passengers, Beijing was the second-busiest airport in Asia after Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) and ninth-busiest worldwide in 2006. In 2007, it served 53,736,923 passengers and had 399,986 aircraft movements.[1] It was the 23rd busiest airport in terms of traffic movements. It is also the 20th busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic, having moved 1,028,908 million tonnes of cargo in 2006. It operates around 1100 flights a day, and is expected to rise to 1500-1600 at the Olympics in 2008. [2] This airport is have the smog and air pollution problem that plagues Beijing.

Contents

[edit] History

Beijing Capital International Airport, showing the new (taller) and old (lower) air traffic control towers, Terminal 1 (front) and Terminal 2 (the blue structure behind Terminal 1)
Beijing Capital International Airport, showing the new (taller) and old (lower) air traffic control towers, Terminal 1 (front) and Terminal 2 (the blue structure behind Terminal 1)

Beijing Airport was opened on March 2, 1958, and was the first in the People's Republic of China.[citation needed] The airport consisted of one small terminal building, which still stands to this day, apparently for the use of VIPs and charter flights. On January 1, 1980, a newer, larger building -- green in colour -- opened, with docks for 10–12 airplanes. The terminal was larger than the 1950s one, but by the mid 1990s it was too small. The terminal was then closed for renovation after the opening of Terminal 2.

In late 1999, to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, the airport was expanded again. This new terminal opened on November 1, and was named Terminal 2. September 20, 2004, saw the opening of a new Terminal 1 for a few airlines, including China Southern Airlines domestic and international flights from Beijing. Other airlines' domestic and international flights still operate in Terminal 2.

Another expansion, terminal 3 (T3) was completed in February 2008, in time for the Beijing Olympics. This colossal expansion includes a third runway and another terminal for Beijing airport, and a rail link to the city centre. It will become one of the largest airports in the world in terms of land size, and a major landmark in Beijing representing the growing and developing Chinese city.

International (Flights to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau are included) Departure Hall Terminal 2.
International (Flights to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau are included) Departure Hall Terminal 2.

On January 29, 2005, direct flights between Mainland China and Taiwan via the areas over Hong Kong and Macao took place after 56 years, mainly to allow families and relatives on the two sides of the strait to get together for Chinese New Year. Flying to Taiwan were planes from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. This became known as a part of the Three Links.

The United States' Department of Transportation, in coordination with China's Civil Aviation Administration, have approved several U.S. carriers to fly routes between the countries. The coordination has been the work of several bilateral civilian air agreements, including the most recent one signed in 2004 that paved the way for the number of daily flights between China and the United States to increase by five-fold.[3]

The third runway of BCIA opened on October 29, 2007 to relieve congestion on the other two runways. [4]

Due to the rapid growth of passenger and traffic movements and the limited space for expansion, and since 10,000 people had seen their homes destroyed for Terminal 3 and the new metro line, the Airport authority plans to build a new airport within Beijing, to begin construction in 2010 and finish at 2015. However, it will not affect Beijing Capital International Airport.[5] From 2000 Beijing Capital International Airport handled 21.7 million passengers, ranking 42nd in the world and in 2006, it handled 48.5 million passengers, jumping from 42nd place to 9th place in only 6 years.

[edit] Airlines and destinations

After slots were given to Federal Express, Continental Airlines began non-stop flights between Newark and Beijing on June 15, 2005. On September 25, 2007, American Airlines and US Airways were awarded nonstop flights to Beijing from Chicago-O'Hare and Philadelphia, respectively, to begin on March 25, 2009. This became US Airways' first destination in Asia. Both of these airlines will operate from the new Terminal 3 as they are part of Star Alliance (US Airways) and oneworld (American Airlines).

The airport has three terminals. Terminal 1 serves mainly Hainan Airlines domestic flights, Terminal 2 serves China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, SkyTeam, and other domestic and international flights. Terminal 3, the newest terminal at Beijing Airport, serves Air China, Shanghai Airlines, Star Alliance, Oneworld, and other domestic and international flights that do not operate from Terminals 1 and 2.

Terminal 3-E and 3D seen from airfield, with an Air China aircraft taxiing
Terminal 3-E and 3D seen from airfield, with an Air China aircraft taxiing

According to the Forbes magazine, the airport has been voted the 2nd worst in 2007 in terms of punctuality. However, airport general manager Dong Zhiyi said official statistics showed that 86.28 percent of its take-offs were on schedule, much higher than Forbes's reported 33 percent. These figures would substantially lift it in the Forbes ratings, far above Europe's worst airport, Charles De Gaulle in Paris, which had only 50 percent of departures leaving on time. [6] In addition, 84.88% of PEK's flights from the June - August period took off or landed in time, despite heavy periods of lightning and rain.

The major long-haul international destinations from Beijing are Frankfurt, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, New York, Paris-CDG, San Francisco and Vancouver. Other destinations becoming increased include Chicago, Dubai, Sydney, Toronto and Washington.

[edit] Terminal 1

Terminal 1 opened on January 1, 1980. After the opening of Terminal 2, Terminal 1 was then closed and was renovated. Terminal 1 then reopened on September 20, 2004, replacing the original 1980s terminal building. This was the airport's only terminal until 1999. It was then used for China Southern Airlines (domestic routes only), Xiamen Airlines and Chongqing Airlines. Since 6:00 a.m. May 20, 2008, China Southern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Chongqing Airlines started to operate their flights from Terminal 2 while Terminal 1 would be closed for refurbishment. [7]

[edit] Terminal 2

The departure hall of Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 2
The departure hall of Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 2
Beijing Capital International Airport - Terminal 2 Domestic & International Departure Hall Drop Off Entrance
Beijing Capital International Airport - Terminal 2 Domestic & International Departure Hall Drop Off Entrance
Beijing Capital International Airport - Terminal 2 International Departure Waiting Hall
Beijing Capital International Airport - Terminal 2 International Departure Waiting Hall
Beijing Capital International Airport - Terminal 2 Arrival Luggage Pick Up Hall
Beijing Capital International Airport - Terminal 2 Arrival Luggage Pick Up Hall
Airport terminal architecture in Beijing Airport's Terminal 2 (April 2006 image)
Airport terminal architecture in Beijing Airport's Terminal 2 (April 2006 image)

Terminal 2 opened on November 1, 1999, a month after the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. This terminal was used to replace Terminal 1 while undergoing renovation, cramping all airlines into this terminal. Prior to the opening of Terminal 3, this terminal used to contain all other airlines' domestic and international flights. This terminal now houses China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Skyteam, and other domestic and international flights after Air China, Shanghai Airlines, Star Alliance members, Oneworld members moved operations to the new Terminal 3.

[edit] International

[edit] Domestic

  • China Eastern Airlines (Changzhou, Dalian, Dunhuang, Hangzhou, Hefei, Jinan, Jinghong, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lianyungang, Lijiang, Luoyang, Luzhou, Nanchang, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai-Hongqiao, Shanghai-Pudong, Taiyuan, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Xi'an, Yantai, Yibin, Yinchuan)
  • China Southern Airlines (Beihai, Changchun, Changsha, Changzhi, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Heihe, Kunming, Lhasa, Liuzhou, Nanchong, Nanjing, Nanning, Nanyang, Ningbo, Sanya, Shanghai-Hongqiao, Shantou, Shenzhen, Shenyang, Tongren, Urumqi, Wuhan, Xi'an, Xining, Yanji, Yiwu, Zhangjiajie, Zhanjiang, Zhengzhou, Zhijiang, Zhuhai)
  • Chongqing Airlines (Chongqing)
  • Grand China Air (Dalian, Guilin, Harbin, Nanchang, Nanning, Sanya)
    • Grand China Express Air (Chifeng, Ulanhot, Weifang, Yan'an, Yulin)
    • Hainan Airlines (Baotou, Changsha, Changzhi, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dongying, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Haikou, Hailar, Hangzhou, Hefei, Hohhot, Jiamusi, Kunming, Lanzhou, Manzhouli, Mudanjiang, Ningbo, Qiqihar, Shanghai-Hongqiao, Shenzhen, Taiyuan, Urumqi, Wenzhou, Wuhai, Xi'an, Xiamen, Yichang, Yinchuan, Zhangjiajie)
  • Northeast Airlines (China) (Chaoyang, Shenyang)
  • Shenzhen Airlines (Huangyan, Nanning, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Wenzhou, Wuxi)
  • Xiamen Airlines (Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Wuyishan, Xiamen, Zhoushan)

[edit] Terminal 3

Terminal 3 opened in 2 stages: February 29, 2008 for trial operations and March 26, 2008 for business. It mainly houses Air China, Oneworld, Star Alliance, and other domestic and international flights. It is composed of three sections, C, D, and E (to avoid leading passengers to Terminal 1 or 2 when seeing the letters A and B). T3-C,D, and E are linked by an inter-terminal train.

[edit] Terminal 3C (Domestic Hall)

  • Air China(Baotou, Changchun, Changde, Changsha, Changzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Dandong, Daxian, Datong, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Haikou, Hailar, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Hohhot, Jiamusi, Jinggangshan, Jiuzhaigou, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lhasa, Mianyang, Nanchang, Nanjing, Nanning, Nantong, Ningbo, Ordos, Qingdao, Quanzhou, Sanya, Shanghai-Hongqiao, Shanghai-Pudong, Shantou, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Taiyuan, Tongliao, Urumqi, Weihai, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen, Xi'an, Xiangfan, Xilinhot, Xining, Xuzhou, Yancheng, Yanji, Yantai, Yinchuan, Yuncheng, Zhangjiajie, Zhengzhou, Zhuhai)
  • Shandong Airlines (Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai)
  • Shanghai Airlines (Nanjing, Shanghai-Hongqiao, Shanghai-Pudong, Xi'an)
  • Sichuan Airlines (Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Wanzhou)

[edit] Terminal 3D (Olympics Hall)

This will be used for charter flights during the Beijing Olympics, then will be used for international flights.

[edit] Terminal 3E (International Hall)

This is 1 of 2 international terminals. Actually, just a wing of terminal 3, it complements the main international terminal.

Terminal 3 waiting area with Air China lounge on the right
Terminal 3 waiting area with Air China lounge on the right
Terminal 3 arrivals Level
Terminal 3 arrivals Level
Terminal 3 Arrival Level
Terminal 3 Arrival Level

[edit] Cargo airlines

[edit] Terminals

[edit] Terminal 1

Terminal 1 opened September 20, 2004 and handles China Southern (CZ) flights, and originally was planned to handle domestic traffic, excluding those to Hong Kong and Macau. It was converted from the 1980s structure and has been thoroughly remodelled. Terminal 1 is small, with approximately ten boarding gates.

[edit] Terminal 2

Terminal 2 formerly served domestic and international flights in the one terminal. That stress is now being taken more and more by Terminal 1. Terminal 2 is far bigger than Terminal 1 and can handle twenty airplanes at docks connecting directly to the terminal building.

There is a passage linking the two terminals together; this is accessible at the public level (no passports needed).

There is a limited selection of food and dining options at Terminal 2. There is only one restaurant in the international area of the terminal once passengers are past security, and the prices are several times higher than similar food downtown Beijing. A Japanese set meal is advertised on the official airport website as RMB 88,[15] four-times higher than a similar offering downtown. By comparison, the domestic area of Terminal 2 has a number of dining options, all at more reasonable prices. Kentucky Fried Chicken and Starbucks have opened outlets in the airport in both Terminals 1 and 2. KFC is available at the basement level in Terminal 2, while Starbucks is available on both landside and airsides.

[edit] Terminal 3

Construction of Terminal 3 started on March 28, 2004 and was opened on February 29, 2008, becoming fully operational on March 26, 2008, when Air China, Shanghai Airlines, other Star Alliance members, and other international airlines moved in. It was designed by a consortium of NACO, Netherlands Airport Consultants B.V., UK Architect Foster and Partners and ARUP. The budget of the expansion is US$3.5 billion.

T3-E from air
T3-E from air
Terminal 3 Interior with Duty-Free Shops
Terminal 3 Interior with Duty-Free Shops

Far grander in size and scale than the existing terminals, it is the largest airport terminal building complex built in a single phase with 986,000 square meters in total floor area.[citation needed] It features a main passenger terminal (Terminal 3C), two satellite concourses (Terminal 3D and Terminal 3E) and five floors above ground and two underground.

[edit] System, Security and Luggage

A 300,000-sq.m transportation centre is located at the front of T3. 7,000 car parking spaces will be available if the two-level underground parking lot is fully employed. The transportation centre will have three lanes for different types of vehicles, airport buses, taxies and private vehicles, which will enable a smooth flow of passengers. People bound for T3 will exit their vehicles here and enter T3 via an aisle within five minutes. The transportation centre will also have a light-rail station on a line that begins at the Dongzhimen stop on the Beijing Subway in Central Beijing. Travel time from Dongzhimen to T3 will be about 18 minutes.

There are electrical outlets on either end of every row of seats in the terminal. There are 243 elevators, escalators or moving walkways; and every restroom is accompanied by a mothers’ room where diapers can be changed. There is also a room for travelers with disabilities.

One of Terminal 3's highlights is the US$240 million luggage-transfer system. The luggage system is equipped with yellow carts, each of which has a code, matching the bar code on every piece of luggage loaded on it, allowing easy and accurate tracking. More than 200 cameras will be used to monitor activities in the luggage area.

The luggage system can handle 19,200 pieces of luggage per hour. After luggage is checked in at any one of the 292 counters at Terminal 3C, they can be transferred at the speed of ten metres per second. Even for international routes, luggage can travel from T3C to T3E in five minutes. Arriving passengers should be able to begin retrieving their luggage within 4.5 minutes after airplanes are unloaded.

Along with X-ray scanners, additional equipment conducts checks such as for explosives. Passengers will be able to check in their luggage at the airport several hours or even a day before their flight. The airport will store them in its luggage system and then load them on the correct airplane.

[edit] The Look

A 98.3-meter monitoring tower stands at the southern end of T3, the highest building at the airport. The roof of T3 is red, the Chinese color for good luck. The terminal’s ceilings use white strips for decoration and to indicate directions. Under the white strips, the basic color of the ceiling is orange with light to dark tones indicating where a passenger is inside the building. It is light orange in the center and deepens as it extends to the sides in T3E and is the other way round in T3C.

The roof of T3 has dozens of windows to let in daylight. Light angles can be adjusted to ensure adequate interior lighting. Many traditional Chinese elements will be employed in the terminal’s interior decoration, including a “Menhai,” a big copper vat used to store water for fighting fires in the Forbidden City, and the carvings imitating the famous Nine-Dragon Wall (Jiulongbi).

An indoor garden is constructed in the T3E waiting area, in the style of imperial gardens such as the Summer Palace. In T3C, a tunnel landscape of an underground garden has been finished with plants on each side so that passengers can appreciate them inside the mini-train.

Terminal 3 inter-terminal train
Terminal 3 inter-terminal train

[edit] Facilities

The T3 food-service area is called a “global kitchen,” where 72 stores will provide food ranging from formal dishes to fast food, from Chinese to western, from bakery goods to ice cream. Airport officials have promised that people who buy products at the airport will see the same prices as in Central Beijing.

In addition to food and drink businesses, there will be a 12,600-sq.m domestic retail area, a 10,600-sq.m duty-free-store area and nearly 7,000-sq.m convenience service area, including banks, business centres, Internet services and more. At 45,200 sq.m, the commercial area will be twice the size of Beijing’s Lufthansa Shopping Centres.

[edit] Transportation between the three terminals

To get from Terminal 3C to 3D and 3E, both domestic and international travellers will have to get boarding passes at T3C, but international passengers have to board from T3E. The two-kilometer trip between the two buildings is too far for walking, so the airport will have a free mini-train that shuttles between the two in three minutes.

To help passengers that go to the right terminal, the airport will provide bus transportation between T3 and the old terminals for free from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The buses set out every ten minutes from 8 a.m. to 8p.m., and every 20 minutes during other times.[16]

When completed, it will provide 66 more aerobridges or jetways - further complemented with remote parking bays which will bring the total of gates to 120 for the terminal alone. An additional runway is also projected to be constructed at that time. It will also have an extra capacity of 50 million people bringing the total to approximately 82 million passengers yearly. Upon completion, it is reported that passengers will be able to travel from the entrance of Terminal 3 to the farthest gate in less than 5 minutes.[17]

[edit] The future of BCIA

Air China, China Eastern and China Southern have cut capacity on the Beijing-Shanghai routes. This is because of overcrowding and to increase safety. The CAAC will also ban any start-up airlines until 2010 because of overcapacity and major constraints. However, the opening of the 3rd runway has increased the number of movements to approximately 620,000. However, during the olympics, it will cut its movements to 1350 a day, to prevent airlines being stuck on the tarmac for periods of time.

The airport has been criticized because of the lack of shopping facilities and also had been rated the 2nd worst in terms of Punctuality, despite 84.88% of flights arriving and departing on time during the summer season. [18] The new terminal that will open will relieve traffic and create a better impression to the Chinese capital upon entry.

When Terminal 3 opens in March 2008, BCIA's terminal system will undergo major changes. As a main hub, Air China and Star Alliance, and Oneworld members will all move to Terminal 3. China Eastern, China Southern and SkyTeam members will remain at Terminal 2. The smallest terminal, Terminal 1, will be used exclusively by Hainan Airlines (for its domestic fights only). However, it is not exactly known where other international flights will move to. It may move to Terminal 2.

Upon opening, it will also become the largest airport in Asia in land size and one of the world's largest in capacity and land size. Terminal 3 will become far larger than HKIA's and Suvarnabhumi's main passenger terminals, with a land area of approximately 986,000 square meters. It is also larger than London Heathrow Airport's 5 terminals combined into one with another 17% to spare.

The airport will be expected to handle 64 million passengers in 2008, due to the high demand from the Olympics. It is expected to be in the top 5 airports in passenger traffic. The capacity of the airport will be an estimated 82 million when the new terminal opens, up from the current 35.5 million.[19]

A new airport is also planned, starting construction in 2010, located approximately 40km South of downtown Beijing. Other preferred site is to the south of the city near the Yongding River, which forms a boundary between Beijing and Hebei Province. The Daxing county at Beijings south has been another proposed site. The capacity of the new planned super airport is around 70-100 million. Upon completion of the new airport, most domestic routes will be transferred to the new proposed airport. There are also other plans to expand BCIA with a 4th runway joined to the 3rd runway to further increase traffic movements.

[edit] Connections

The Airport Expressway Toll Gate at Xiaotianzhu (August 2004 image).
The Airport Expressway Toll Gate at Xiaotianzhu (August 2004 image).

[edit] Connections by Road

The airport was remote when it was first built, with a narrow road serving it from Sanyuanqiao. In the early 1990s, a 20 km stretch of toll expressway -- the Airport Expressway -- connecting downtown Beijing from the Northeastern 3rd Ring Road at Sanyuanqiao directly to the airport -- was opened.

By 2008, four expressways will link to the airport:

All of these expressways, except for the Airport Expressway are under construction.

[edit] Connections by Rail/Urban Public Transit

There are no light rail or underground routes serving the airport at this point in time; however, the Airport Extension to the Beijing subway began construction in 2005 and is set to be completed on June 30, 2008, in time for the 2008 Olympics. Buses run from the airport to many parts of the city.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Preliminary Airport Traffic Results for 2007|109 KiB}}, Airports Council International, 7 March 2007
  2. ^ Air China to issue 400 mln shares
  3. ^ (2004-07-24). "United States Department of Transportation". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
  4. ^ Beijing Airport's third runway opens on Monday
  5. ^ Beijing's giant new airport - Telegraph
  6. ^ Beijing airport hits back at "second worst" rating | Forum | the Beijinger
  7. ^ China Southern, Xiamen Airlines and Chongqing Airlines move to Terminal 2
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m (Russian) Federal State Unitary Enterprise "State Air Traffic Management Corporation", Summer Air Traffic Schedule 25.03.2007 - 27.10.2007 (Airports - Russian international), 29 May 2007, p. 51-52
  9. ^ a b c Bloomberg.com: Canada
  10. ^ Bloomberg.com: Canada
  11. ^ Bloomberg.com: Canada
  12. ^ http://www.routesonline.com/news/17/route-development-news/284/hainan-launching-services-to-toronto-bishkek-and-mumbai/
  13. ^ http://www.nwa.com/corpinfo/newsc/2008/pr050820081998.html
  14. ^ La ligne Alger-Pékin d'Air Algérie opérationelle avant 2009
  15. ^ Beijing Capital Airport - food options. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
  16. ^ Beijing This Month- Terminal 3 Poised for Take-off
  17. ^ Beijing Capital Airport Terminal 3 Complete by 2007
  18. ^ Beijing airport hits back at "second worst" rating | Forum | the Beijinger
  19. ^ Airport notches up 50 m passengers

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