2 | Thursday, January 17, 2019 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY PAGE TWO Beijing’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 China United Airlines 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 North China’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.