2 | Thursday, January 17, 2019 HONG KONG EDITION | PAGE TWO ’s new airport fast taking shape

Hub poised to spur Team Airline Alliance will move to the new airport, so we will follow,” growth in southern he said. districts and Balm said Air France KLM hopes the new airport will bring addition­ nearby regions al traffic, and from a commercial perspective that business can grow. He added that the carrier needs to By DU JUAN and ZHU WENQIAN be very flexible with its aircraft, net­ work, slots and customers. an Lu, 45, a business­ He said moving to the new airport man in the auto industry is a challenge, but from a business who travels frequently, is perspective it is very interesting. looking forward to Bei­ American Airlines, the largest car­ Hjing Daxing International Airport rier by fleet size, said it is consider­ opening — which is scheduled for ing opportunities for increased Sept 30 — because he lives in the connectivity with China Southern, south of the city. including moving with the carrier to “I usually spend more than one the new airport. However, a final and a half hours getting to Beijing decision has not been made. Capital International Airport from In 2017, American Airlines made a home. Hopefully, the new airport $200 million equity investment in will save me an hour on the road,” he China Southern, creating a founda­ said. tion for their long­term partnership. On the other hand, Wang Liu, 36, Code sharing and interline agree­ a marketing director whose compa­ ments between the two carriers give ny has headquarters in Shanghai, is customers of both access to many worried that it may take her much more destinations in China, as well longer to get to the new airport from as North and South America, the US her home in the northwest of Bei­ airline said. jing. Anthony Flynn, communications “I fly to Shanghai four times a manager for Asia­Pacific at Ameri­ month on average, sometimes even can Airlines, said: “In November, more. China Eastern Airlines, American Airlines and China South­ whose flights I take most of the time, ern took steps to further strengthen will move to the new airport, which our partnership with a significant probably means I will have to spend expansion of code­sharing coopera­ much more time getting there,” she A bird’s­eye view of Beijing Daxing International Airport, which is scheduled to open on Sept 30. LI XIAOFAN / FOR CHINA DAILY tion and the launch of reciprocal fre­ said. “It will be a problem for me.” quent flyer benefits and lounge Beijing Daxing International Air­ access. These benefits are due to port, an 80 billion yuan ($11.6 bil­ northern Beijing, while southern dis­ the relocation of airlines. come online this year. lion) project, will affect or even tricts are home to clothing wholesale Carriers including China South­ “China and the United States are change people’s lives, including outlets, buildings material markets, ern, China Eastern, Beijing Capital the two biggest air travel markets in those of travelers from all over the factories and farmland. Airlines and the world, with growth forecast in world, Beijing residents, airline Daxing district was selected as the will move to the new facility, while the business and leisure sectors. employees and people living in site for the new airport to help accel­ others such as Air China, Hainan With the opening of Beijing Daxing nearby areas such as Tianjin and erate the industrial transformation Airlines and Grand China Air will International Airport in 2019 and Hebei province. of the area, Cui said. remain at Beijing Capital Interna­ the ability to cooperate fully with The airport, which will be the “The new airport will bring talent, tional Airport. China Southern, American Airlines largest in the world when complet­ related businesses and services to Foreign airlines, along with those is excited about its future in the Chi­ ed, will contribute to the global air southern areas, which will boost the from Hong Kong, Macao and Tai­ nese market.” transportation network and eco­ local economy,” he added. wan, can choose which airport they nomic growth in Beijing’s southern Li Lei, a principal with the Roland operate from, with the option of Construction progress districts as well as nearby regions. It Berger consultancy in Shanghai, said having a presence at both. According to the office at the new will also produce business opportu­ the new airport will help drive the Chinese carriers, except China airport, 80 percent of the interior nities for both domestic and foreign coordinated development of Beijing, Postal Airlines, will have to use just construction has been completed airlines, according to a government Tianjin and Hebei. It also has advan­ one airport. and all the external work is finished. official and industry experts. tages in meeting the demands of the The phased transition will start The water supply pipeline net­ Xiongan New Area, whose main from next winter and be completed work and electricity transformer Key project function is to serve as a development over 12 months, CAAC said. substations are ready, while a natu­ Cui Xiaohao, deputy head of the hub for these three regions. Li, at Roland Berger, said,“In the ral gas pipeline will soon be in use. Beijing Commission of Develop­ The new airport, which is expect­ initial period of operation, the reve­ Green and energy­saving concepts ment and Reform and deputy ed to become ’s air trav­ nue of airlines that move to the new were adopted for the airport’s director of the new airport’s office, el hub, is situated on the border of airport may be affected. Take China design and construction. said the facility is the key project for Beijing and Langfang, Hebei. It is 46 Eastern, for example — its most Passengers will spend a maxi­ Beijing this year and will enable the kilometers from Tian’anmen profitable flights are those operat­ mum of eight minutes getting from capital to serve as the country’s Square, 26 km from downtown ing between Beijing and Shanghai, the center of the terminal to the far­ international communications, cul­ Langfang, 55 km from the Xiongan and the carrier may lose some busi­ thest boarding gate, about one­third tural, political and scientific innova­ New Area and 67 km from Beijing ness travelers after the move. the time spent at Beijing Capital tion center. Capital International Airport. “However, with the improvement International Airport, according to “More than 100 million passen­ Given the strong regional trans­ in services and better infrastructure the office. gers used Beijing Capital Interna­ portation network between Beijing, at the new airport, such losses will Renewable energy will comprise tional Airport last year, which is Tianjin and Hebei, travelers landing gradually be recovered. The new air­ more than 10 percent of the new air­ close to its capacity,” Cui said. “The at the new airport will be able to port can also attract more passen­ port’s energy consumption mix new airport will ease pressure on reach downtown Beijing, the city’s gers by introducing better shopping when construction is completed. the existing one, giving it a chance to government sub­center in experiences and smart devices.” This will rank it No 1 in terms of the improve its facilities and service.” Tongzhou district and the Xiongan Huang Pu, general manager of renewable energy adoption level at The Civil Aviation Administration New Area within half an hour. They The new airport is expected to become North China’s air travel hub. China Eastern’s planning and coor­ airports nationwide, according to of China predicts that the number of can also reach nearby cities includ­ It is designed to handle 45 million passengers annually by 2021 and dination division in Beijing, sees the the Beijing Municipal Commission passengers using Beijing’s airports ing Shijiazhuang, Tangshan and 72 million by 2025. PHOTOS BY ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY move to the new airport as a great of Development and Reform. annually will reach 150 million by Baoding in Hebei, along with Tian­ opportunity for the company to Photovoltaic solar energy panels 2025. jin, within an hour of landing, make the capital its most important have been fitted on roofs of the park­ The new airport is designed to according to the new airport’s office. the two major Beijing airports and Cui, the deputy director, said, market outside of its Shanghai ing lots and business jets hangar, handle 45 million passengers annu­ Li said, “The new airport is far­ airlines — including those staying at “Different from the two airports in headquarters. while geothermal energy will be ally by 2021 and 72 million by 2025. ther from the downtown area than the existing airport and those mov­ Shanghai, where one is mainly for “We have detailed plans to used in the airport’s service facilities. There are long­term plans to expand Beijing Capital International Air­ ing to the new one. domestic airlines and the other expand our network and invest in The solar energy generation sys­ the number to 100 million, accord­ port, and there will be some disad­ “Cooperation between the two mostly for international carriers, the support project at the new air­ tem will provide 6.1 million kilo­ ing to CAAC. vantages for it to attract business airports is greater than their compe­ the two in Beijing will both be inter­ port,” he said. watt­hours annually for the new Cui said: “That will further travelers in the initial stages of oper­ tition, and they will complement national.” As a foreign airline with the right facility, accounting for 1 percent of improve Beijing’s role as the interna­ ations. each other,” Li said. He said this arrangement, added to choose its operating location in total energy consumption. Tradi­ tional communications center of “However, a number of State­ On Jan 3, CAAC said the new air­ with the airports in Tianjin and Shi­ Beijing, Air France KLM plans to tional power plants and natural gas China by creating better airport con­ owned enterprises in Beijing plan to port is designed as a large interna­ jiazhuang, capital of Hebei, will move to the new airport. will also supply energy to the site. ditions and airline services. The new move to the Xiongan New Area, and tional aviation hub, the new growth form a world­class airport complex Toon Balm, general manager of A comprehensive network will airport will help balance Beijing’s the new airport is predicted to driver for the nation’s development in the Beijing­Tianjin­Hebei cluster. Air France KLM China, said many help travelers reach Beijing districts economic growth between the north­ attract more travelers who take and a comprehensive transportation Tianjin airport will become the people fly from Europe to Beijing, or nearby cities, and it is forecast ern and southern areas of the city.” business trips from this area to oth­ hub for the integrated development international airfreight center for but they do not stop in the city, and that more than 50 percent of them The northern areas have long been er regions.” of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. North China and a regional hub, continue their journeys on flights will use public transportation at the considered to be more developed Meanwhile, Beijing Capital Inter­ while the one in Shijiazhuang will operated by the carrier’s Chinese new airport. than those in the south. There are Business opportunities national Airport will take on the role be developed into a hub for budget partners. more universities, high­tech compa­ Completion of the new project of an international aviation hub for airlines and an air courier center. “China Eastern, China Southern Contact the writers at nies and research institutions in will bring business opportunities to the Asia­Pacific region. CAAC also announced plans for and many other airlines in the Sky­ [email protected] China Eastern looks forward to ‘historic opportunity’

By WANG YING in Shanghai national Airport is expected to open “China Eastern plans to invest Huang said the project is divided Eastern, Huang said. The carrier will allocate 150 to 200 [email protected] on Sept 30, and up to 40 percent of its 13.2 billion yuan ($1.95 billion) in into two phases. The first, occupy­ China United Airlines is tasked aircraft for its operations in Beijing, passenger volume will be handled by building a supporting project at the ing 470,000 square meters, will be with moving to the new airport and their destinations will include Beijing’s new airport presents China Eastern in the future. new airport whose functions will completed by the end of June and overnight and operating the first domestic cities and those in the China Eastern Airlines with a “his­ As a result, the airline has include cargo, aircraft maintenance, become operational on Sept 30. flight from it. Americas, Europe, Oceania and toric opportunity” to expand its net­ attached great importance to the special vehicle maintenance, airline Construction of the second phase is China Eastern’s remaining opera­ Southeast Asia. work in the capital, according to the Beijing project and given priority to food, ground services and a core due to start in the first half of this tions and facilities will move to the According to China Eastern, it general manager of the carrier’s its safety and quality. working area,” Huang said. year, and will take two years to com­ Daxing airport over four years, carries more than 400,000 passen­ planning and coordination division “The new airport will play a key China Eastern has made Beijing plete. Huang said. gers a day, and takes over 120 mil­ in the city. role in China’s civil aviation history, its most important market outside Relocating more than 60 aircraft The airline will invest more than lion travelers annually to 1,074 Huang Pu also said that after the because it is a ‘nexus’ for the coordi­ of its headquarters in Shanghai, and and some 4,000 people overnight 120 billion yuan in the new airport, destinations in 174 nations and airport opens, Beijing will become nated development of the Beijing­ expects to handle 28.8 million pas­ from Beijing Nanyuan Airport in with over 20 billion yuan going to regions. the airline’s second headquarters Tianjin­Hebei region, as well as a senger trips and 715,000 metric tons the south of the city will present a infrastructure construction and The carrier operates the world’s after Shanghai. key point in the Belt and Road Initi­ of cargo annually at the new airport major challenge for China United nearly 100 billion yuan for its Bei­ seventh­largest fleet of about 700 Huang said Beijing Daxing Inter­ ative,” Huang added. by 2025. Airlines, a subsidiary of China jing fleet operation, Huang said. aircraft.