Beijing Airport

In order to meet conditions and requirements for hosting the Olympic games in 2008 Beijing airport launched a major renovation project in March of 2004. When construction is completed in early 2008 Beijing airport will be able to handle 1.8 million tons of cargo, a half a million planes landing or taking off, and 17,000 planes landing or taking off each day. The airport is being configured as a one of the main requirements of the Olympics in order to create a new image for the Beijing airport. The total investment in the new renovations was 25 billion yuan, which is $3.13 billion, and included the building of a new terminal, Terminal 3, a third runway, and various new passenger and aviation facilities. When the renovations are complete Beijing airport will, in terms of land size, become one of the largest airports in the world. The Chinese are continually working on Beijing airport so it will be ready by the time the Olympics start in mid summer 2008.

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Beijing airport is the busiest airport in China. The airport has seen its growth double every year since the SARS crisis in 2003. A year later in 2004 Beijing airport became the busiest airport in all of Asia, in terms of aircraft movement, as it overtook Tokyo International airport. Beijing is the second business airport in Asia, in terms of passengers, and overall ranks ninth overall in that category in 2006. Beijing Airport served over 48 million passengers in 2006, moved over 1 millions tons of cargo, and had over 367,000 aircraft movements. Beijing Airport will see a spike in these numbers in 2008 when the city will host the summer Olympics. This is one of the main reasons that the airport has gone through major construction in the last few years. Beijing Airport is the 30th busiest airport worldwide, in terms of passenger movement, and is the only airport in Asia that is in the top 30. In terms of moving cargo Beijing airport ranks 20th worldwide.

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There are many shopping and restaurant possibilities in Beijing Airport. There are shops located on all three levels of the airport. Level 2 has separate shops for both domestic and international departures. The domestic departures area has many retail outlets that sell such items as souvenirs, tea, alcohol, electronics, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. The international departures area has many stores for duty free shopping. Many of the items that are located in the domestic departures are also in these shops but at discounted process. There are also several newsstands located throughout the airport.

There are also many bars, cafes, and restaurants all throughout Beijing airport. Most of the eating and drinking establishments are located on level 2 as many of the local Chinese eateries are located in the Domestic Departures area. In this area there are both sit down hosted restaurants, Chinese noodle stands, and even a Chinese counter where they sell Chinese fast food. The International Departures area also has these Chinese food options as well as a McDonalds, Starbucks, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Korean and Japanese food options. There are also places for visitors to grab a bite or something to drink at the underground level at Beijing airport.

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Besides all the shopping and eating facilities there are many other facilities available at Beijing Airport. Beijing Airport has banking services with five full service Chinese banks. There are many currency exchange services, credit card services, as well as domestic and international check services offering traveler's checks exchanges. Many of these banks also have ATM's located all throughout the terminals. There is a full service post office that is open from 7 AM until 8 PM during the five business days. The post office offers express deliveries of letters and packages.

Beijing Airport also offers business and conference facilities for the business traveler. There is a fully equipped Commercial Service Center located in Beijing airport where you can send and receive faxes. In the Commercial Service Center you can also recharge your mobile phone and laptop computer as well as work with the Internet available notebook workstations. There are VIP lounges on the second floor with other business and conference options available.

Beijing Airport also has many disabled amenities. Some of these amenities include modified telephones, toilets, and elevators. There are also ramps throughout Beijing Airport for disabled travelers and guests. Disabled persons can also arrange for wheelchair assistance through the individual airlines and through the Beijing Airport Ground Service Corporation.

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As China began to open up in the mid 1980's Beijing Airport was only accessible from a tiny road leading to the airport. In the early 1990's a 20 km toll expressway, called the Airport Expressway, was built which connected downtown Beijing to the area directly across from the airport. By 2008 there will be four expressways from every direction that will link to the airport. Travel in Beijing can get very hectic and unpredictable, especially during rush hour, so you have to give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport, especially for International flights. Driving from downtown Beijing to the airport can take up to an hour but may take longer, as it depends on the time of day and the how congested the traffic is.

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From Downtown Beijing travel east taking the second ring road and then take the Airport Expressway turnoff and then follow the expressway all the way to the Terminals.

From the north head south until coming to either the 3rd thru 5th ring road and then turn left. Follow either the 3rd thru 5th ring road until you hit the Airport Expressway and then turn left. Follow the expressway all the way to the Terminals.

From the south head north until coming to the 3rd thru 5th ring road and turn right. Follow either the 3rd thru 5th ring road until you hit the Airport Expressway and then turn right. Follow the expressway all the way to the Terminals.

From the east head west until you come to either the 3rd thru 5th ring road and then turn right. Follow either the 3rd thru 5th ring road until you get to the Airport Expressway and then turn left. Follow the expressway all the way to the Terminals.

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There is a Beijing Airport bus service that is run by the Chinese government that can be convenient to use, as it shuttles between the airport and various destinations around Beijing. The buses typically begin to run at 6 AM and stop at the time of the last flight. The bus services generally run hourly. Taking a shuttle bus from Beijing Airport to downtown Beijing usually takes around an hour but may be more deepening on traffic. There are also many hotel shuttles at Beijing Airport since there are many hotels near the airport. Many quality hotels near the airport and in downtown Beijing can be taken for free if they are requested prior to arrival and departure. You will have to check with the hotel you are staying at to see if they offer these complimentary airport shuttles.

There are many metered taxicabs available at the arrival area at Beijing Airport. The rates are reasonable but many of the drivers do not speak English. Because of this it is a good idea to write down where your destination is and show it to a taxi driver rather than trying to explain it to them. When you are writing the destination down write it in Mandarin and if you need help have someone at an information kiosk write it down for you. The taxi stands of Beijing Airport are located just outside the Baggage Claim Area, which is on the first floor.

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Currently Beijing Airport has two terminals with the third one slated to open in the beginning of 2008. Terminal 1 at Beijing Airport opened in 2004 and mainly handles flights to southern China, but is the main terminal for all domestic flights, as well as flights to Hong King and Macau. Terminal 1 has been converted from a structure from the 1908's and has gone through major remodeling over the years as the airport has grown. Terminal 1 is much smaller than Terminal 2 but still has many various facilities for travelers.

Terminal 2 at Beijing Airport was primarily used for both domestic and international flights. But currently Terminal 1 handles many domestic flights and Terminal 2 handles, for the most part, international flights. Terminal 2 is much larger than Terminal 1 and easily handles the 20 airplane docks that are directly connected to the Terminal 2 building. Between the two terminals there is a passageway that is accessible at the public level, where passports are not required. There are not many dining options in Terminal 2 once you pass security, as there is only one restaurant in the international area. Because of this the process are also much higher, being several times more than in downtown Beijing. Where many of the food options are is in the domestic area of Terminal 2. Since there are more dining options the prices are lower. This is where you can find the McDonalds located. In Terminal 1 and 2 you can find both a Starbucks and a Kentucky Fried Chicken. These are only available to passengers that have already checked in their baggage and gone through the security checkpoints. As the airport grew larger over the years Terminal 2 is currently over the limit in terms of passengers and flights but the stress will be relieved in early 2008 when Terminal 3 opens.

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Currently Terminal 3 is under construction and its construction is on schedule slated to open early in 2008. Terminal 3 at the Beijing Airport will be the biggest terminal building in any airport around the world that was constructed in one faze. Terminal 3 will be 900,000 square meters in total floor area. Terminal 3 will have many more travelers' facilities and will also feature a main terminal for passengers, tow satellite concourses, and a luggage moving system for passengers. Terminal 3 will be five floors, with three above ground and two underground. When Terminal 3 is finished it will also have 66 jet-ways and remote parking bays bringing the total number of gates in Terminal 3 to 120. There is also an additional runway that is under construction to accommodate the more planes that will be routed through Beijing, especially for the Olympics. By 2008 there will be four expressways that will link to Beijing Airport. The Airport Expressway will link the airport from the south, the 2nd Airport Expressway will link the airport from the east and southeast, the Northern Airport Line will link the airport from the northeast, and the Litian Expressway will link the airport from the east.

Beijing Airport is currently one of the largest airports in Asia. Once constriction is complete in early 2008 it will become the largest airport in all of Asia and one of the largest airports in the world.

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