Beijing Capital International Airport

Beijing Capital International Airport (IATA: PEK, ICAO: ZBAA) is the main international airport serving Beijing. It is located 32 km (20 mi) northeast of Beijing’s city centre, in an enclave of Chaoyang District and the surroundings of that enclave in suburban Shunyi District. The airport is owned and operated by the Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited, a state-controlled company. The airport’s IATA Airport code, PEK, is based on the city’s former romanized name, Peking.

Beijing Capital has rapidly ascended in rankings of the world’s busiest airports in the past decade. It had become the busiest airport in Asia in terms of passenger traffic and total traffic movements by 2009. It has been the world’s second busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic since 2010. The airport registered 557,167 aircraft movements (take-offs and landings), ranking 6th in the world in 2012. In terms of cargo traffic, Beijing airport has also witnessed rapid growth. By 2012, the airport had become the 13th busiest airport in the world by cargo traffic, registering 1,787,027 tons.

History

Beijing Airports
Beijing Capital International Airport
Traditional Chinese 北京首都國際機場
Simplified Chinese 北京首都国际机场

Beijing Airport was opened on 2 March 1958. The airport then consisted of one small terminal building, which still stands to this day, apparently for the use of VIPs and charter flights. On 1 January 1980, a newer, larger Terminal 1 – green in colour – opened, with docks for 10 to 12 aircraft. The terminal was larger than the one built in the 1950s, but by the mid-1990s, its size became relatively inadequate.

The first International flight to China and Beijing Capital International Airport was of Pakistan International Airlines from Islamabad.

In late 1999, to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, the airport experienced a new round of expansion as Terminal 2 opened on 1 November of that year. Terminal 1 was then temporarily closed for renovation after the opening of Terminal 2. 20 September 2004 saw the opening of a renovated Terminal 1, which at that time solely handled China Southern Airlines’ domestic and international flights from Beijing. Other airlines’ domestic and international flights still operated in Terminal 2.

Another round of expansion started in 2007. A third runway opened on 29 October 2007, to relieve congestion on the other two runways. Terminal 3 (T3) was completed in February 2008, in time for the Beijing Olympics. This colossal expansion also included a rail link to the city-center. At its opening, the new Terminal 3 was the largest man made structure in the world in terms of area covered, and a major landmark representing Beijing as the growing and developing Chinese capital. The expansion was largely funded by a 30 billion yen loan from Japan and a 500-million-euro (USD 625 million) loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The loan is the largest ever granted by the EIB in Asia; the agreement was signed during the eighth China-EU Summit held in September 2005.

Fresh from hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics and adding its new terminal building, Beijing Capital has overtaken Tokyo Haneda to be the busiest airport in Asia based on scheduled seat capacity.

Due to limited capacity at Beijing Capital International Airport, a new airport in Daxing is being planned. The project was given final approval on 13 January 2013. Construction began in late 2014 and is expected to be completed in 2019.[10] The new airport will serve as a hub for SkyTeam alliance airlines (except China Eastern Airlines), while Star Alliance members will stay at Beijing Capital International Airport. Hainan Airlines, which accounted for 10% of Beijing Capital International’s passenger seat capacity in 2016, but is not part of any major alliance, will stay at the existing capital airport.

Terminals

The airport has three terminals. Terminal 1 serves the domestic routes of Hainan Airlines and its subsidiaries (while its international routes, plus flights to/from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, operate from Terminal 2). Terminal 2 serves China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, SkyTeam (excluding Alitalia and China Airlines); in addition Oneworldmembers American Airlines and SriLankan Airlines, also other domestic and international flights. Terminal 3, the newest terminal, serves Air China, Star Alliance, Oneworld members (excluding American Airlines and SriLankan Airlines), plus Skyteam members- Alitalia and China Airlines, and some other domestic and international flights that do not operate from either Terminals 1 or 2.

Terminal 1

Terminal 1, with 60,000 m2 (650,000 sq ft) of space, opened on 1 January 1980, and replaced the smaller existing terminal, which had been in operation since 1958.[13] Terminal 1 was closed for renovation from 1 November 1999 to 20 September 2004, during which all airlines operated from Terminal 2. Featuring 16 gates, it was the operational base for the domestic routes of China Southern Airlines and a few other airlines such as XiamenAir and Chongqing Airlines, and was originally planned to handle domestic traffic excluding those to Hong Kong and Macau.

With the opening of Terminal 3, the terminal was closed for light refurbishment, and its airlines were moved to Terminal 2 on 20 May 2008.[14] Terminal 1 reopened for a second time on 27 June 2008, and became the operational base for all domestic flights operated by the HNA Group including those of Hainan Airlines, Grand China Air, Beijing Capital Airlines and Tianjin Airlines, while all HNA Group’s international flights as well as those to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan remain in Terminal 2.

Terminal 2

Terminal 2 opened on 1 November 1999, with a floor area of 336,000 m2 (3,620,000 sq ft).[13] This terminal was used to replace Terminal 1 while the latter was undergoing renovation, cramping all airlines despite being far bigger than Terminal 1. It can handle twenty aircraft at docks connecting directly to the terminal building. Prior to the opening of Terminal 3, all international flights (and the majority of the domestic flights) operated from this terminal. This terminal now houses China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines (all International flights including flights to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau), SkyTeam(excluding China Airlines), Oneworld members -American Airlines and SriLankan Airlines, Air Koryo, and other domestic and international flights other than those operated by Air China, Shanghai Airlines, Star Alliance members and Oneworld members. A gate capable of handling the A380 (gate 21) was also built at the terminal.

Terminals 1 and 2 are linked by a public walkway that takes about 10–15 minutes to traverse. Shuttle buses connect all three terminals.

Terminal 3

 Construction of Terminal 3 started on 28 March 2004, and the terminal opened in two stages. Trial operations commenced on 29 February 2008, when seven airlines including British Airways, El Al Israel Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Shandong Airlines and Sichuan Airlines moved into the terminal. Twenty other airlines followed when the terminal became fully operational on 26 March 2008.[16] Currently, it mainly houses Air China, Oneworld (excluding American Airlines and SriLankan Airlines), Star Alliance, Skyteam member-China Airlines,and other domestic and international flights that are not operated from Terminal 2. Star Alliancemembers LOT Polish Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada, Turkish Airlines, Thai Airways International, Singapore Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, and Air China use Terminal 3-E as part of the Move Under One Roof program to co-locate alliance members.

Terminal 3 was designed by a consortium of Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO), UK Architect Foster and Partners and ARUP. Lighting was designed by UK lighting architects Speirs and Major Associates. The budget of the expansion is US$3.5 billion. Much larger in size and scale than the other two terminals, Terminal 3 was the largest airport terminal-building complex in the world to be built in a single phase, with 986,000 m2 (10,610,000 sq ft) in total floor area at its opening.[13] It features a main passenger terminal (Terminal 3C) and two satellite concourses (Terminal 3D and Terminal 3E), all of them five floors above ground and two underground, with the letters “A and B” omitted to avoid confusion with the existing Terminals 1 and 2. Only two concourses were initially opened, namely Terminal 3C dedicated for domestic flights and Terminal 3E for international flights. Terminal 3D officially opened on 18 April 2013. The newly opened concourse is temporarily used solely by Air China for some of its domestic flights.

Terminal 3 of the BCIA is currently the second-largest airport passenger terminal building in the world. Its title as the world’s largest was surrendered on 14 October 2008 to Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3, which has 1,713,000 m2 (18,440,000 sq ft) of floor space.

On 20 July 2013, a man in a wheelchair detonated small homemade explosives in Terminal 3 of the Beijing International Airport. The bomber, reported to be Ji Zhongxing, was injured and taken to a hospital for his injuries. No other people were hurt.

System, security and luggage

Terminal 3 has a 300,000 m2 (3,200,000 sq ft) transportation centre with a 7,000-car garage. The transportation centre has designated traffic lanes for airport buses, taxis and private vehicles. Travelers bound for T3 can exit their vehicles and enter T3 within five minutes. There is also a station for the Airport Express Line of the Beijing Subway.

Terminal 3 has 243 elevators, escalators or moving walkways. Each row of seats in the waiting area has electrical outlets. Every restroom has a diaper changing station. There is also a room for travelers with disabilities.[citation needed].

One of Terminal 3’s highlights is the US$240 million luggage-transfer system. The luggage system is equipped with yellow carts, each of which has a code that matches the bar code on every piece of luggage loaded and allows easy and accurate tracking. More than 200 cameras are used to monitor activities in the luggage area.

The luggage system can handle 19,200 pieces of luggage per hour. After a luggage is checked in at any of the 292 counters in Terminal 3C, it can be transferred at a speed of ten metres per second. Hence, a luggage can travel from T3C to T3E in five minutes. Arriving passengers should be able to begin retrieving their luggage within 4.5 minutes after airplanes are unloaded.

Besides X-ray scanners, additional equipment are used to conduct baggage screening. Passengers will be able to check in their luggage at the airport from several hours to even a day before their flights. The airport will store the luggage in its luggage system and then load it on the correct aircraft.

Appearance

The highest building at the airport, a 98.3 m (323 ft) monitoring tower, stands at the southern end of T3. The roof of T3 is red, the Chinese color for good luck. The terminal’s ceilings use white strips for decoration and to indicate directions. Under the white strips, the basic color of the ceiling is orange with light to dark tones indicating where a passenger is inside the building. The roof is light orange in the center. The color deepens as the roof extends to the sides in T3E and goes the other way round in T3C.

The roof of T3 has dozens of triangular windows to let in daylight. Light angles can be adjusted to ensure adequate interior lighting. Many traditional Chinese elements will be employed in the terminal’s interior decoration, including a “Menhai”, a big copper vat used to store water for fighting fires in the Forbidden City, and the carvings imitating the famous Nine-Dragon Wall.

An indoor garden is constructed in the T3E waiting area, in the style of imperial gardens such as the Summer Palace. In T3C, a tunnel landscape of an underground garden has been finished with plants on each side so that passengers can appreciate them inside the mini-train.

Facilities

The T3 food-service area is called a “global kitchen,” where 72 stores provide food ranging from formal dishes to fast food, from Chinese to western, and from bakery goods to ice cream. Airport officials have promised that people who buy products at the airport will find the same prices in central Beijing.

In addition to food and beverage areas, there is a 16,200 m2 (174,000 sq ft) domestic retail area, a 12,600 m2 (136,000 sq ft) duty-free-store area and a nearly 7,200 m2(78,000 sq ft) convenience-service area, which includes banks, business centres, Internet services and more. At 45,200 m2 (487,000 sq ft), the commercial area is twice the size of Beijing’s Lufthansa Shopping Center.

The terminal provides 72 aerobridges or jetways and is further complemented with remote parking bays that bring the total number of gates to 150. Terminal 3 comes with an additional runway. It increases BCIA’s total capacity by 72 million passengers per year to approximately 90 million.[21]

Airbus A380

The terminal has gates and a nearby runway that can handle the Airbus A380. This capability was proven when Singapore Airlines briefly offered A380 flights to Beijing in August 2008 during the Summer Olympics. Emirates Airline has started its scheduled daily operation to Dubai as of 1 August 2010. Lufthansa has been using these facilities since October 2010 to handle up to five A380 flights per week.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines Destinations
Aeroflot Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Vladivostok[22]
Seasonal: Khabarovsk
Air Algérie Algiers
Air Astana Almaty, Nur-Sultan
Air Canada Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver
Air China Aksu, Athens, Auckland, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Baotou, Barcelona, Bayannur, Beihai, Budapest, Busan, Changchun, Changsha, Changzhou, Chaoyang, Chengdu, Chiang Mai, Chifeng, Chongqing, Copenhagen,[23] Dali, Dalian, Dandong, Daqing, Datong, Dazhou, Delhi, Dubai–International, Dunhuang, Düsseldorf, Erenhot, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Fuyang, Fuyuan, Fuzhou, Ganzhou, Geneva, Guangyuan, Guangzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Haikou, Hailar, Hami, Hangzhou, Hanoi,[24] Harbin, Havana, Hefei, Hiroshima, Ho Chi Minh City, Hohhot, Hong Kong, Honolulu (ends 26 August 2019, resumes 29 October 2019)[25] , Hotan, Houston–Intercontinental, Huangshan, Huizhou, Islamabad, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Jeju, Jiamusi, Jiansanjiang, Jieyang, Jingdezhen, Jinggangshan, Johannesburg–O.R. Tambo, Karachi, Karamay, Kashgar, Korla, Kuala Lumpur–International, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lhasa, Lijiang, Linfen, Liupanshui, Liuzhou, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madrid, Manila, Melbourne, Mianyang, Milan–Malpensa, Minsk, Montréal–Trudeau, Moscow–Sheremetyevo,[26] Mudanjiang, Mumbai, Munich, Nagoya–Centrair, Naha, Nanchang, Nanjing, Nanning, Nantong, New York–JFK, Newark, Nice (begins 2 August 2019),[27] Ningbo, Nur-Sultan, Ordos, Osaka–Kansai, Panama City–Tocumen,[28] Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Phnom Penh,[29] Phuket, Pyongyang,[30] Qingdao, Qiqihar, Rome–Fiumicino, San Francisco, Sanya, São Paulo–Guarulhos,[31] Sapporo–Chitose, Sendai, Seoul–Gimpo, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Hongqiao, Shanghai–Pudong, Shaoyang, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Shihezi, Shiyan, Singapore, Songyuan, Stockholm–Arlanda, Sydney, Taipei–Taoyuan, Taiyuan, Taizhou, Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita, Tonghua, Tongliao, Turpan, Ulaanbaatar, Ulanhot, Ulanqab, Urumqi, Vancouver, Vienna, Warsaw–Chopin, Washington–Dulles, Weihai, Wenzhou, Wuhai, Wuhan, Xiamen, Xi’an, Xichang, Xilinhot, Xining, Yancheng, Yangon, Yangzhou, Yanji, Yantai, Yibin, Yichang, Yinchuan, Yining, Yiwu, Yuncheng, Zhangjiajie, Zhanjiang, Zhengzhou, Zhuhai, Zunyi–Maotai, Zunyi–Xinzhou, Zurich
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Air Koryo Pyongyang
Air Macau Macau
AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur–International
All Nippon Airways Osaka–Kansai, Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita
American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles
Asiana Airlines Busan, Cheongju, Seoul–Gimpo, Seoul–Incheon
Austrian Airlines Vienna
Azerbaijan Airlines Baku
Beijing Capital Airlines Baotou, Erenhot, Haikou, Hangzhou, Lijiang, Macau, Malé, Meixian, Nanchang, Qingdao, Sanya, Urumqi, Xiamen, Xining, Xishuangbanna, Yichang, Yushu
Seasonal: Lisbon[32]
British Airways London–Heathrow
Cambodia Angkor Air Siem Reap, Sihanoukville[33]
Cathay Dragon Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong
Cebu Pacific Kalibo, Manila
China Airlines Kaohsiung, Taipei–Taoyuan
China Eastern Airlines Baoshan, Changzhou, Chengdu, Chiang Mai, Chongqing, Dali, Dalian, Da Nang, Delhi, Denpasar/Bali, Dongying, Enshi, Fukuoka, Guangzhou,Haikou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Huai’an, Jiagedaqi, Jiayuguan, Jining, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lianyungang, Lincang, Linfen, Linyi, Luoyang, Lüliang, Luzhou, Mangshi, Nagoya–Centrair, Nanchang, Nanjing, Naypyidaw, Ningbo, Osaka–Kansai, Pu’er, Qianjiang, Qingdao, Saipan, Shanghai–Hongqiao, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenzhen,[34] Sydney, Taiyuan, Tengchong, Vientiane, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Wuxi, Xiamen, Xi’an, Xining, Xishuangbanna, Yantai, Yinchuan, Zhangye, Zhaotong
Seasonal: Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi 
Charter: Krabi, Siem Reap
China Southern Airlines Amsterdam, Anshan, Beihai, Changchun, Changde, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Daqing, Diqing, Ganzhou, Guangzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Heihe, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Huaihua, Istanbul,[35] Jieyang, Korla, Kunming, Mohe, Nanchong, Nanning, Phnom Penh, Sanya, Seoul–Gimpo, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Hongqiao, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Tashkent, Tbilisi, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tongren, Urumqi, Wuhan, Xi’an, Xining, Yanji, Yichun, Yinchuan, Yiwu, Zhangjiajie, Zhuhai, Zunyi–Xinzhou
Delta Air Lines Detroit, Seattle/Tacoma
Donghai Airlines Shenzhen, Yichang
EgyptAir Cairo
El Al Tel Aviv–Ben Gurion
Emirates Dubai–International
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi, Nagoya–Centrair
EVA Air Taipei–Taoyuan
Finnair Helsinki
Garuda Indonesia Denpasar/Bali, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta
Grand China Air Guilin, Harbin, Sanya, Yinchuan
Hainan Airlines Almaty, Anqing, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Baotou, Berlin–Tegel, Boston, Brussels, Calgary, Changchun, Changsha, Changzhi, Chengdu, Chicago–O’Hare, Chongqing, Dalian, Dongying, Dublin, Edinburgh, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Haikou, Hailar, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hohhot, Irkutsk, Jiamusi, Kunming, Lanzhou, Las Vegas, Manchester, Manzhouli, Mexico City, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Nanchang, Nanning, Ningbo, Oslo–Gardermoen, Phuket, Prague, Saint Petersburg, San Jose (CA), Sanming, Sanya, Seattle/Tacoma, Shanghai–Hongqiao, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenzhen, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tel Aviv–Ben Gurion, Tijuana, Tokyo–Haneda, Tongren, Toronto–Pearson, Urumqi, Weifang, Wenzhou, Wuhai, Wuhan, Xiamen, Xi’an, Yan’an, Yichang, Yulin
Hong Kong Airlines Hong Kong
Japan Airlines Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita
Jeju Air Daegu
Jiangxi Air Nanchang[36]
Juneyao Airlines Shanghai–Hongqiao
KLM Amsterdam
Korean Air Busan, Jeju, Seoul–Gimpo, Seoul–Incheon
Loong Air Hangzhou
LOT Polish Airlines Warsaw–Chopin
Lucky Air Mangshi, Tengchong
Lufthansa Frankfurt, Munich
Mahan Air Tehran–Imam Khomeini
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International
MIAT Mongolian Airlines Ulaanbaatar
NordStar Airlines Krasnoyarsk–Yemelyanovo
Pakistan International Airlines Islamabad, Lahore, Tokyo–Narita
Philippine Airlines Kalibo, Manila
Qantas Sydney
Qatar Airways Doha
S7 Airlines Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk–Yemelyanovo, Novosibirsk, Ulan-Ude, Vladivostok
Scandinavian Airlines Copenhagen
Shandong Airlines Chongqing, Guilin, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Nanyang, Qingdao, Rizhao, Ulanqab, Weihai, Xiamen, Yantai, Yinchuan, Zhuhai
Shanghai Airlines Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Hangzhou, Shanghai–Hongqiao
Shenzhen Airlines Chengdu, Nanning, Nantong, Osaka–Kansai, Quanzhou, Sanya, Shenzhen, Wuxi, Xiangyang, Yichun
Sichuan Airlines Chengdu, Chongqing, Harbin, Kunming, Panzhihua, Sanya, Urumqi, Wanzhou, Xichang, Xishuangbanna, Zhongwei
Singapore Airlines Singapore
SriLankan Airlines Colombo
Swiss International Air Lines Zurich
Thai AirAsia Chiang Mai (resumes 28 October 2019)[citation needed]
Thai Airways Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Phuket
Tibet Airlines Lhasa
Turkmenistan Airlines Ashgabat
Turkish Airlines Istanbul
Ukraine International Airlines Kiev–Boryspil
United Airlines Chicago–O’Hare, Newark, San Francisco, Washington–Dulles
Ural Airlines Irkutsk,[37] Vladivostok,[38] Yekaterinburg
Uzbekistan Airways Tashkent
Vietnam Airlines Hanoi
Seasonal: Nha Trang
XiamenAir Changsha, Chongqing,[39] Fuzhou, Hailar, Hangzhou, Hong Kong,[40] Kota Kinabalu,[41] Quanzhou, Sanya, Shanghai–Hongqiao, Shenzhen, Wuyishan, Xiamen, Zhoushan

Cargo

Airlines Destinations
AirBridgeCargo Moscow–Sheremetyevo
Air China Cargo Anchorage, Atlanta, Chicago–O’Hare, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Tokyo–Narita, Taipei–Taoyuan, Nanjing
Air Koryo Pyongyang
Asiana Cargo Seoul–Incheon
Cargolux Luxembourg City
China Airlines Cargo Taipei–Taoyuan
China Cargo Airlines Shanghai–Pudong
China Postal Airlines Shanghai–Pudong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing
DHL Aviation
operated by Air Hong Kong
Hong Kong
EVA Air Cargo Tapei–Taoyuan
Etihad Cargo Abu Dhabi, Almaty[42]
FedEx Express Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Osaka–Kansai
Korean Air Cargo Seoul–Incheon
Lufthansa Cargo Frankfurt
SF Airlines Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai–Pudong, Wuxi, Shenzhen, Macau

Ground transportation

Intra-terminal transportation

Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3 People Mover
 
Overview
Owner Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited
Area served Beijing Capital International Airport
Locale Beijing, China
Transit type People mover
Number of lines 1
Line number 1
Number of stations 3
Operation
Began operation March 2008
Operator(s) Bombardier Transportation
Character Airside
Number of vehicles 11 Bombardier Innovia APM 100 vehicles
Technical
System length 2.08 kilometres (1.29 mi)

Terminal 3 consists of three sub-concourses. Both domestic and international travellers check in at concourse T3C. Gates for domestic flights (excluding those to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau) are in T3C, and gates for domestic flights operated by Air China are also located in concourse T3D. All international flights, including those to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, are handled in concourse T3E.

In conjunction with the construction of the new terminal, Bombardier Transportation installed a 2 km (1.2 mi) automated people mover which connects T3C and T3E via T3D in a 2–5 minute one-way trip. The line uses Innovia APM 100 vehicles running at 6-minute intervals at a maximum speed of 55 kilometres per hour (34 mph).

Inter-terminal transportation

The airport provides a free inter-terminal shuttle bus between Terminals 1/2 and 3. They operate every 10 minutes from 6 am to 11 pm, and every 30 minutes from 11 pm till 6 am. Terminals 1 and 2 are connected by a lengthy corridor.

Rail

Beijing Capital International Airport is served by the Airport Express Line, a dedicated rail link operated as part of the Beijing Subway system. The 28.1 km (17.5 mi) line runs from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 and then to the city with stops at Sanyuanqiao and Dongzhimen. The line opened on 19 July 2008, in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics. A one-way trip takes approximately 16–20 minutes and costs ¥25. The running hours are 6:35-23:10 for T2, 6:20-22:50 for T3 and 6:00-22:30 for Dongzhimen. 

Bus

There are 18 bus routes to and from points throughout the city including Xidan, Beijing railway station, Beijing South railway station, Beijing West railway station, Zhongguancun, Fangzhuang and Shangdi. The airport buses run to each of the three terminals and cost up to ¥30 per ride depending on the route. The airport buses accept only paper tickets that are sold at each terminal and certain bus stops in the city. The airport also offers inter-city bus services to and from neighboring cities including Tianjin, Qinhuangdao, Baoding, Langfang and Tangshan.

Car

 The airport is accessible by four express tollways. Two of these run directly from northeastern Beijing to the airport. The other two connect to the airport from nearby highways.
  • The Airport Expressway is a 20 km (12 mi) toll road that runs from the northeastern 3rd Ring Road at Sanyuanqiao directly to Terminals 1 and 2. It was built in the 1990s and has served as the primary road connection to the city.
  • The 2nd Airport Expressway, opened in 2008, is a 15.6 km (9.7 mi) toll road that runs east from Yaojiayuan Lu at the eastern 5th Ring Road and then north to Terminal 3.
  • The Northern Airport Line, opened in 2006, is an 11.3 km (7.0 mi) toll road that runs east from the Jingcheng Expressway to Terminals 1 and 2.
  • The Southern Airport Line, opened in 2008, is a toll road that runs parallel and to the south of the Northern Airport Line from the Jingcheng Expressway to the eastern Sixth Ring Road at the Litian Bridge. This highway crosses the Airport Expressway and 2nd Airport Expressway, and enables drivers on the former to reach Terminal 3 and the latter to head to Terminals 1 and 2.

Accolades

Rankings
Traffic Rank Year
List of airports by passenger traffic 2 2014
List of airports by traffic movements 5 2014
List of airports by cargo traffic 12 2014
  • 2009 – 1st on the ranking of the World’s Best Airport by Condé Nast Traveler magazine, based on its satisfaction survey.[46]
  • 2011 – 3rd Best Airport Worldwide of the Airport Service Quality Awards by Airports Council International.[47]

Statistics

Traffic by calendar year
  Passengers Change from previous year Movements Cargo
(tons)
2007[48] 53,611,747   399,209 1,416,211.3
2008[48] 55,938,136 Increase 4.3% 429,646 1,367,710.3
2009[49] 65,375,095 Increase 16.9% 487,918 1,475,656.8
2010[50] 73,948,114 Increase 13.1% 517,585 1,551,471.6
2011[51] 78,674,513 Increase 6.4% 533,166 1,640,231.8
2012[3] 81,929,359 Increase 4.1% 557,167 1,787,027
2013[52] 83,712,355 Increase 2.2% 567,759 1,843,681
2014[53] 86,128,313 Increase 2.9% 581,952 1,848,251
2015 89,900,000 Increase 4.4% 594,785 1,843,543
2016 94,393,000 Increase 5.6% 606,086 1,831,167
2017 95,786,296 Increase 1.5% 597,259 2,029,583

Other facilities

Beijing Capital Airlines has its headquarters in the Capital Airlines Building (首都航空大厦 Shǒudū Hángkōng Dàshà) at the airport.

Sister airports

  • O’Hare International Airport
  • Helsinki Airport
  • Hong Kong International Airport
  • Los Angeles International Airport
  • Manchester Airport
  • Munich Airport
  • Suvarnabhumi Airport
  • Sydney Airport
  • Stockholm Arlanda Airport
  • Abu Dhabi International Airport