Beijing’s New Airport: The Sky‑High Gig
Picture a giant wall of steel and concrete sprawled over Beijing’s farmlands, buzzing like a hive of ants. That’s Daxing International Airport – a monolithic project where 8,000 workers are putting the pieces together, day after day.
Why Build It?
- China’s existing airports (Beijing Capital, Beijing Deli, and others) are already bursting at the seams.
- IATA predicts that by 2020, Beijing, Manila, and Singapore will hit full capacity.
- Daxing’s eight runways will eventually handle 72 million passengers a year—making it the busiest airport on the planet by 2025.
Construction Capabilities
Li Jianhua, the Deputy Chairman of the airport’s planning board, told reporters that the site is running on schedule—sometimes even ahead of deadline. He showed off the raw material tally: a whopping 200,000 tonnes of steel, matching the weight of China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier.
The daily progress is nothing short of astonishing: one 18‑story building per day. Light beams pierce through a glass roof, illuminating the cavernous interior, while motivational posters that shout “safety first!” adorn the walls. In the centre, a massive Chinese flag sways proudly.
When Will It Open?
Targeted to kick off operations in June 2019, the airport will reach full capacity states a few years later.
Global Forecast
By 2036, the world expects 7.8 billion travelers ink their way across the skies, with almost half of those flights centred in the Asia‑Pacific region—according to IATA chief Alexandre de Juniac.
