Beijing Capital International Airport
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Template:Airport frame Template:Airport title Template:Airport infobox Template:Runway title Template:Runway Template:Runway Template:Airport end frame Beijing Capital International Airport (北京首都国际机场 Pinyin: Běijīng Shǒudū Guójì Jīchǎng) Template:Airport codes is the major international airport that serves the capital city of Beijing, People's Republic of China, it is China's largest and busiest airport. The IATA Airport Code is PEK, reflecting Beijing's former Romanization Peking. The airport is the main hub of Air China. The airport was largely funded by a $30 billion grant from Japan.
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Location
Beijing Capital International Airport is located around 20 km to the northeast of Beijing. Although many consider it in Shunyi District, it, in fact, is an exclave of Chaoyang District.
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History
Beijing Airport was opened on March 2, 1958, and was the first in the PRC. 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 overwhelmed with people and was tested well over the limit. The terminal was then closed after the opening of Terminal 2 for renovation. It reopened on September 20, 2004 and it is used exclusively used for China Southern Airlines.
In late 1999, to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, the airport was expanded again. (This is the Beijing airport of today.) This new terminal opened on November 1, and was named Terminal 2. On September 20, 2004, the new Terminal 1 opened (it was formerly the only terminal until 1999) exclusively for China Southern Airlines domestic and international flights from Beijing. Other airlines' domestic and international flights still operate in Terminal 2.
Another, even more ambitious expansion, is in the works, due for completion in time for the 2008 Olympics. This includes a 3rd runway and another terminal for Beijing airport, and a rail link to the city centre.
On January 29, 2005, direct flights between Mainland China and Taiwan took place after 56 years. Flying to Taiwan were planes from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. This became known as the Three Links.
On February 22, 2005, Continental Airlines have announced that it has won the battle over Delta to operate flights to China, offering a daily nonstop flight between Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey to Beijing beginning June 15, 2005. With the announcement, Continental will join United Airlines as the only U.S. airlines to fly nonstop between the United States and Mainland China in history.
Connections
Connections by Road
The airport used to be remote when it was first created in the early days. Then, a solitary, narrow road served it from the area now known as Sanyuanqiao.
When China started opening up in the 1980s, the airport was full of activity and the tiny, narrow road that used to serve it was tested to the limit. As a result, in the early 1990s, a nearly 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:
- Airport Expressway, from the south
- 2nd Airport Expressway, from the east (southeast)
- Northern Airport Line, from the northwest
- Litian Expressway, from the east
All of these expressways, except for the Airport Expressway are currently under construction as of early 2005.
Connections by Rail/Urban Public Transit
There are currently no light rail or underground routes serving the airport; however, the Airport Extension to the Beijing subway will begin construction in June 2005 and will be completed in time for the 2008 Olympics. Buses run from the airport to many parts of the city.
Airlines and Terminals
Landing rights at the airport are much-coveted. After slots were given to Federal Express, Continental Airlines began non-stop flights between Newark and Beijing on June 15, 2005. The airport currently has 2 terminals. A third terminal is currently under construction and it is expected to be built by 2007.
Terminal 1
BeijingAirportTerminal1999Architecture.jpg
Terminal 1, which was green in color, first opened on January 1, 1980. After the opening of Terminal 2, Terminal 1 was then closed and went through renovation. Terminal 1 then reopened on September 20, 2004, replacing the original 1980s terminal building. This was the airport's only terminal until 1999. It is now used exclusively for China Southern Airlines domestic and international flights out of Beijing.
Terminal 2
Terminal 2 opened on November 1, 1999, a month following 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. This terminal now contains all other airlines' domestic and international flights. It may eventually contain only Hong Kong, Macau, and international flights.
- Aeroflot Russian Airlines (Moscow)
- Air Canada (Toronto, Vancouver)
- Air China (Bangkok, Baotou, Changchun, Changsha, Changzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Dubai, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hiroshima, Hong Kong, Hohhot, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, Kunming, Kuwait, Lanzhou, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Nagoya, Nanchang, Nanjing, Nanning, Nantong, New York JFK, Osaka, Paris, Phuket, Pusan, Qingdao, Rome, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai Hongqiao, Shanghai Pudong, Sendai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Taegu, Taiyuan, Tokyo Narita, Ulan Bator, Vancouver, Weihai, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen, Xi'an, Xining, Yangon, Yantai, Yinchuan, Yuncheng, Zhangjiajie, Zhengzhou)
- Air Europa (Madrid) starting May 2005
- Air France (Paris Charles de Gaulle)
- Air Koryo (Pyongyang)
- Air Macau (Macau)
- Air Zimbabwe
- Alitalia (Milan, Rome)
- All Nippon Airways (Osaka, Tokyo Narita)
- Asiana Airlines (Pusan, Seoul)
- Austrian Airlines (Vienna)
- Belavia Airlines
- British Airways (London Heathrow)
- China Airlines (part of the Three Links)
- China Eastern Airlines
- China Great Wall Corporation
- China National Aviation Company
- China Northern Airlines
- China Northwest Airlines
- China Southwest Airlines
- China Xinhua Airlines
- China Yunnan Airlines
- Continental Airlines (Newark)
- Dragonair (Hong Kong)
- El Al (Tel Aviv)
- Ethiopian Airlines
- EVA Air (part of the Three Links)
- Finnair (Helsinki)
- Hainan Airlines
- Iran Air
- Japan Airlines (Fukuoka, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo Narita, Sendai)
- Jat Airways (Belgrade)
- Kazakhstan Airlines
- Kirkstan Airlines
- Korean Air (Cheju, Seoul, Taegu)
- KLM (Amsterdam)
- Lufthansa (Frankfurt, Munich)
- Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur)
- MALÉV Hungarian Airlines (Budapest)
- MIAT Mongolian (Ulan Bator)
- Northwest Airlines (Detroit via Tokyo Narita)
- Pakistan International Airlines
- Scandinavian Airlines System (Copenhagen)
- Shandong Airlines
- Shanghai Airlines (Shanghai Hongqiao)
- Shanxi Airlines
- Shaanxi Airlines
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Siberia Airlines
- Sichuan Airlines
- Singapore Airlines (Singapore)
- Swiss International Air Lines (Geneva, Zurich)
- Thai Airways International (Bangkok)
- Turkish Airlines (Istanbul)
- Ukraine International
- United Airlines (Chicago O'Hare, Los Angeles via San Francisco, San Francisco, Washington via Chicago O'Hare)
- Uzbekistan Airways
- Wuhan Airlines
- Xiamen Airlines
- Zhongyuan Airlines
Terminal 3
Currently under construction, due for completion by 2007.
Terminal Buildings
Terminal 1 is open as of September 20, 2004, which handles CZ (China Southern) flights (and originally was planned to handle domestic traffic, excluding those to Hong Kong, Macao and eventually Taiwan). It was converted from the 1980s building and has been thoroughly remodelled. Terminal 1 is rather small, with approximately ten boarding gates.
Terminal 2 used to have domestic and international flights squashed into one cramped terminal. That stress is now being taken more and more by Terminal 1. Eventually, Terminal 2 may only retain the HK, Macau, Taiwan and international flights. Terminal 2 is far bigger than Terminal 1. It can easily handle twenty aeroplanes 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).
Kentucky Fried Chicken and Starbucks have recently opened outlets in the airport, slashing the airport's otherwise sky-high food prices. These are in both Terminals 1 and 2.
Terminal 3 is currently under construction, and is expected to be built by 2007. Far grander in size and scale than the existing terminals, it will feature five floors above ground and two underground. When completed, there will be even more direct docking gates and Beijing Airport will get a new runway, in addition to its current set. Upon completion, it will take less than five minutes in Terminal 3 to reach the furthest gate.
Lounges
Domestic and international lounges are available inside the passport-restricted zones.
External links
- Beijing Capital International Airport Co. Ltd (http://210.75.250.252/eversion/)
- Official website (http://www.bcia.com.cn/) (in Simplified, but contains English version)de:Flughafen Peking