On the 12^th September 2007, China provided the media world with its first glimpse of the vast new complex currently being constructed at Beijing Capital International Airport. The huge terminal is a mixture of glass and steel, featuring a sloping roof which, according to its owners, is designed to make an impression of the thousands anticipated to pour into the Chinese capital when it hosts the Summer Olympic Games next year.

Terminal 3, as it will become, is a focal point for the upcoming Olympics. Its purpose is to alleviate the overcrowding within Beijing Airport's Terminals 1/2. Additionally, it will accommodate the increasing influx of passengers expected to result from Beijing's expansive growth over the next few years.

Flight/facilities testing at Terminal 3 will commence in February 2008. Among its key features are a hi-tech luggage handling system and a rail terminal providing a direct link into Beijing itself. Additionally, the new runway at Beijing will be able to accommodate the new generation of airliners - led by the Airbus A-380.

The terminal building itself cost nearly $3 billion; associated infrastructure adding a further $4.6 billion to the development costs. In terms of its significance to the 2008 Summer Olympics, Capital Airport Holding Company's General Manager - Zhang Zhizhong - labelled Terminal 3 an "important non-competition venue". He added that the terminal's intention was to "give an excellent impression when visitors arrive at the airport."

The Terminal's design was carried out by Norman Foster - the famed British architect. Architecturally, it is a blend of cutting-edge technology and more traditional aspects. Inside, its columns - painted red - and gold painted roof, are designed to be evocative of China's imperial temples and palaces. The baggage system, itself costing $250 million, is a product of the German Siemens AG firm. According to airport executives, up to 19,000 individuals pieces of baggage will be able to be handled per hour.

When Beijing Airport's Terminal 2 opened in 1999, it rapidly reached its passenger capacity, with lengthy queues the norm.

It is known that China's airport industry is undergoing significant development and expansion, with vast sums of funding going into projects to construct new airports. Airport International will continue to provide unrivalled coverage of China's flourishing aviation scene, especially as the Beijing Olympics draw ever closer.

Source - Airport International's Far East Correspondent

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