October 27, 2019, saw the first international flight to depart from China's new, state-of-the-art Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX)-an Air China flight bound for Bangkok.
A British Airways flight will also become the first transcontinental departure today, scheduled for take-off to London after having made its inaugural landing into Daxing earlier this morning, becoming the first international carrier to touch down since the massive new airport debuted last month.
Having officially opened at the end of September 2019 ahead of October 1 celebrations of the People's Republic of China's 70th anniversary, Daxing's main domestic carriers are currently China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines, though Air China is also offering a smaller number of flights.
According to Aviation24.be, British Airways will run a daily service between London Heathrow and Beijing Daxing. Reuters reported that 50 or so foreign airlines plan to transfer their full or partial Chinese operations to the new airport over the coming quarters, with relocations to be completed by winter 2021; although Air China and its Star Alliance partners will largely remain at Beijing Capital International Airport.
Although it's said to have been inspired by the form of a phoenix, the sprawling structure rather more resembles a massive asterisk, now boasting the world's largest terminal building designed by famed Iraqi-born, U.K.-based architect, Zaha Hadid.
It also becomes the world's second-largest single-building airport, sitting on eighteen square miles of land. Four runways are currently in operation, with three additional planned for the future.
Now one of the world's most technologically-advanced airports, Beijing Daxing implements a vast range of automated innovations, including facial-recognition, self-service security biometrics, self-service check-in, baggage-drop machines, and real-time bagging tracking. Passengers also enjoy a paperless process from check-in through boarding.
After passing through security, customers can access over 300 shops and restaurants inside the terminal building, as well as two partner lounges operated by BCS and the East Pacific Group.
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