Beijing got the go-ahead for a new airport following approval by China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) issued in the “Beijing Airport feasibility study report” on December 15. The new airport is scheduled to have a five-year construction period and is designed to meet capacity needs up to 2025. It will be handle 72 million annual passenger throughput, 2 million tons cargo throughput and take-off/landing of 62,000 flights a year. Aviation experts say the scale of the proposed airport will be second only to Beijing Capital Airport.
New airport layout
As per the NDRC approval, the new airport will have four runways constructed in the “three vertical and one horizontal” layout, a 700,000 sqm airport terminal (the main terminal and hall can handle 72 million and 45 million users respectively), two control towers and refueling facilities. A terminal control center will also be built in Beijing’s Shunyi District and Liqiao Township.
A construction proposal for a second fuel storage facility outside the airport is also under discussion and deliberation by the committee.
Construction proposals for the bases for China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China and China Post Group must also be submitted and approved by the committee.
Attracting investment
Total investment for the airport project is RMB79.98 billion, with 50% from capital investment including a RMB18 billion funding from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and RMB6 billion from Capital Airports Holding Company (CAHC). It will also actively seek investment from the private sector. NDRC and the Ministry of Finance will make up the remainder from the funds allocated for investment and state-owned capital management within the central government budget. CAHC will raise the funding for non-capital investments through financing by banks or other channels.
Terminal scale
Beijing Capital Airport is the largest national airport and the gateway to China. As its Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 have been in use since the 80s and 90s, the new airport's terminals will modeled after the more modern Terminal 3.
The new Beijing Airport has a budget of RMB79.98 billion, three times the budget of Terminal 3 that was built in 2004-2008 for RMB27 billion. The budget covers also the construction of other facilities such as the control tower, fueling facilities and hangers.
Second largest national airport
Beijing Capital Airport had reached its capacity in 2013 with passenger throughput of 83.65 million, the second highest worldwide for three consecutive years.
According to data from the Airports Council International, the top three global airports in 2013 in terms of passenger throughput were Atlanta International Airport in the US, Beijing Capital Airport, and London Heathrow Airport at 94.43 million, 83.71 million, and 72.37 million respectively.
The planned throughput of 72 million for the new Beijing airport will enable it to overtake Guangzhou Baiyun Airport and Shanghai Pudong Airport to become the second largest airport in China after Beijing Capital Airport.(Translation by David)
