China to close its oldest airport as capital prepares to open world's busiest terminal

International

23-09-2019, 13:34

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China's oldest airport, which opened in 1910 during the reign of the Qing Dynasty, is about to close as the Beijing Daxing International Airport, the world's biggest air hub, is set to open its doors.

The new airport, which cost 80 billion yuan ($11.3 billion) and took five years to build, will feature a spectacular starfish-shaped terminal. The building is expected to be the world’s largest terminal as it covers an area of 700,000 square meters. The entire Daxing International Airport covers around 47 square kilometers, with four runways and 268 airplane parking bays.The enormous new airport, situated 46 kilometers south of Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, is preparing to handle 45 million passengers annually by 2021, and 72 million by 2025. It has ambitious expansion plans, as the site is expected to increase its capacity to 100 million travelers by 2040.