Beijing Daxing International Airport. Photo: Xinhua

Beijing Daxing International Airport has processed over 130 million passenger trips in its first five years of operation,MKsport Beijing Daily reported Friday.

Since its inauguration on September 25, 2019, the airport has operated 216 routes that connect 197 domestic and international destinations across 25 countries and regions. This year alone, it has served over 40 million passenger trips, reinforcing its role as a vital gateway to China.

Before the launch of Daxing International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport's annual passenger traffic surpassed 100 million for two consecutive years, ranking second globally. Due to overcapacity, around 300 flights were unable to be scheduled each day, resulting in the loss of nearly 10 million potential passenger trips each year.

Since Beijing Daxing International Airport officially opened, Beijing has entered the "one city, two airports" dual-hub era. During the 2024 summer travel season, Beijing's aviation sector set new records for daily flights and passenger throughput. With the recovery of the air travel market, combined passenger traffic at both airports is expected to surpass 110 million in 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Currently Daxing airport has four runways, 252 aircraft stands, and a 700,000-square-meter terminal, with its satellite terminal under construction. Meanwhile, the capital airport, with three runways, 372 aircraft stands, and three terminals covering a total area of 1.41 million square meters, is implementing capacity-enhancing projects to boost operational efficiency, according to Liu Chunchen, general manager of Beijing Capital International Airport Co.

"Building a high-quality international aviation dual-hub in Beijing is a key support for the city's development and the coordinated growth of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region," Liu said.

In the future, Beijing's dual-hub airports will have an annual capacity exceeding 200 million passenger trips, reaching world-class standards in multiple areas. Beijing will become the first city globally to have two airports handling over 100 million passenger trips each, according to Beijing Daily.

Global Times