INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Beijing's Daxing International Airport now officially openDavid Culver and Steven Jiang, CNN Beijing (CNN) — Beijing's massive new Daxing
International Airport is officially open for business -- just in time for celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic
of China on October 1.On Wednesday morning, press, dignitaries and airline representatives waited in place for more than four hours for the
arrival of President Xi Jinping, who entered the main concourse of the glistening gold and glass mega terminal just before noon, where he
was greeted by airport officials.Xi sat through a brief highlight reel of the airport's design and construction followed by speeches filled
with praise for the president
The Chinese leader was the last to speak, offering a brief, formal baptism."I declare Beijing Daxing International Airport open," he
said.Later that day, the crowd watched as the airport's maiden flight took off from one of the airport's four runways -- an honor that fell
to Daxing's main tenant, China Southern, which deployed an Airbus A380, the world's biggest airliner.Flights from other airlines due to move
to the airport, with a three-letter code PKX, were also scheduled for later in the day
Initially, the only flights making use of the airport are domestic
Customs and immigration are not yet operational, their booths currently empty and free of computer screens.Flights from Daxing will cover
112 destinations around the globe by next spring.An airport built for the futureDaxing's official opening caps a long design and building
Construction for the $11.5 billion project began in 2014, with more than 40,000 workers on site at its peak.Designed by the late architect
Zaha Hadid and her Chinese partners, the airport is built for the future, boasting a terminal the size of 97 soccer pitches -- as well as
customer-service robots that provide travelers with flight updates and airport information.Nicknamed "starfish" by Chinese media for its
shape of five concourses connected to a main hall, Daxing aims to reduce walking for passengers, long a complaint about many new
mega-hubs.Related contentBeijing is building hundreds of airports as millions of Chinese take to the skiesThe airport authority has promised
a distance of no more than 600 meters (650 yards) -- about eight minutes of walking -- between security checkpoints and the remotest
gates.The sleek, modern interior design is striking, thanks in part to the 8,000 distinct rooftop windows that allow in the sun's rays
Many high-end stores and restaurants sit ready to serve passengers; it's high-tech, high-end mall meets air travel.As part of the opening
ceremony, journalists were given a tour of some of the facilities including a massive "China Garden" in the international concourse, a
serene tradition-inspired courtyard based around a pond of koi carp.Security and measures were also on display
Travelers will be scanned on cameras using facial recognition
Counters will be fully automated to capture face photos and relay them each part of the journey through the airport, including security and
the departure gate.World's fastest growing air travel marketThe greatly anticipated airport ushers in a new era for air travel to and from
the Chinese capital, which has been in desperate need of a second global gateway.The existing Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is
the world's second-busiest aviation hub and hitting full capacity, making it nearly impossible for airlines to add flights at desirable
times.In 2018, more than 100 million travelers passed through its three terminals -- making it only the second airport in the world to cross
that passenger traffic milestone, after Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta.China is projected to overtake the United States as the world's biggest
air travel market by 2022.Related contentAsia's 9 busiest airports in 2019The "modest" initial operational target at Daxing is to
accommodate 72 million passengers and 2 million tons of cargo annually by 2025.The ambitious master plan calls for the building of a total
of seven runways, and moving at least 100 million passengers and 4 million tons of cargo a year through the airport.Daxing's location,
however, is cause for concern
It's in the far south of Beijing, a city notorious for traffic jams.Play Video100 million passengers and 4 million tons of cargo could
eventually pass through this airport each year.The new airport is some 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Tiananmen Square in the city center --
and even farther away from the main business districts in the east and north.Brushing aside such worries, officials say they have built more
than just an airport -- but rather a truly integrated transportation hub that will eventually see high-speed rail, inter-city services and
downtown-to-airport express trains all stopping right beneath the terminal.The airport express trains, traveling at a top speed of 160
kilometers an hour (100 mph), promise to whisk arriving passengers to the city in less than 20 minutes.Related contentThe most exciting new
airports opening in 2019Yet others say a new mammoth aviation hub will only worsen flight delays in Beijing, already ranked near the bottom
of on-time performance lists among airports worldwide.There is no indication that the Chinese military, which controls most of the country's
airspace, will loosen its grip to give airliners more maneuver room.But aviation officials and airline executives predict reduced delays at
Daxing thanks to its multi-directional runway design that improves operational efficiency in the air, as well as its location south of
Beijing -- eliminating many flight detours aimed at avoiding the city's large "no-fly" zone.
