Beijing Airport is the main air gate of the capital of China, the city of Beijing. It is here that the bulk of international flights arrive and depart from here. Shoudu is one of the busiest airports in the world. In terms of passenger traffic, it ranks second in the world after the hub in Dubai. This airport is also known as PEK Beijing Airport.
Classification
China's main air transport hub is coded PEK according to IATA classification. The history of this code goes back to the previous name of the capital of China in English - Peking. The decoding of the PEK airport is the first three letters of the old name of the capital of the “Celestial Empire”. The airport also has an encoding - ZBAA according to the ICAO classification. Another well-known airport code is DJS.
Beijing Capital International Airport is known in English as Beijing Capital International Airport.
Development history
During the founding of the airport, namely March 2, 1958, on the territory of the modern giant wasa small terminal building was erected. It was intended to serve VIP passengers, as well as several charter flights. At the same time, the code PEK was assigned to the airport.
Terminal No. 1, whose area is 60,000 square meters, opened in January 1980. Its task is to replace the first terminal. It is painted green. From the beginning of operation, it could simultaneously receive from 10 to 12 aircraft. Despite the fact that it was quite large by the standards of the mid-nineties of the last century, it soon began to be missed due to the increasing passenger flow. The terminal was closed for the first reconstruction in 1999. It reopened on September 20, 2004. After the upgrade, it now has 16 aircraft gates.
The second terminal of the Beijing airport was opened in November 1999, in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the PRC. He already had 20 reception gates. The renovated Terminal No. 1 was added to it in September 2004. The first and second terminals are connected by moving walkways.
Before the Terminal No. 3 was built and put into operation, the second was the main one for receiving and sending flights.
Before the grandiose world event, namely the Beijing Summer Olympics, the country's airport - PEK, received a modern Terminal No. 3 in February 2008. In addition to it, a new, third runway was erected. A modern railway line was put into operation towards the center of Beijing. The new terminal is considered one of the largest in the world in terms of the area on which itlocated.
At its peak in 2008, PEK Capital Airport was able to handle more than 55 million passengers. In the same year, it provided almost 400,000 aircraft takeoffs and landings, making it one of the busiest airports in the world. Currently, the airport serves about 1,100 flights per day.
Terminal 3 began to be built in March 2004. He was included in the work gradually, in two stages. A trial run was carried out in February 2008. The construction of this giant terminal cost more than $3.5 billion. Its area is more than 980,000 square meters.
This modern terminal is divided into three parts, as follows:
- main passenger terminal 3C;
- extra 3D, 3E.
Terminal No. 3 is located on five floors above ground and on 2 underground - A and B.
Terminal No. 3D is the main reception and departure point for local airlines.
Terminal number 3E - international. It is called the "Olympic Hall". During the 2008 Olympic Games, it became the main one for receiving and sending charter flights. Currently serving international flights.
Distribution of terminals
Due to the fact that China and its capital Beijing are very popular places for visiting tourists and people arriving in China on business, Capital Airport is very busy. The huge passenger traffic through the capital's most important airport has led to the need for rigid fixing of GDP and terminals between the aircraft of various airlines in China andpeace.
Terminal No. 1 is the base for Chinese airlines Hainan Airlines, HNA Group.
Terminal No. 2 is involved in providing international flights of China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, SkyTeam group, Korean Air Koryo.
Terminal No. 3 currently serves domestic Air China, Beijing Capital Airlines, global Oneworld, Star Alliance and other international airlines.
This transportation hub provides long haul flights. Among them are routes to the largest cities in the world, such as New York, Vancouver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Frankfurt, London, Paris.
Russian planes from Aeroflot, S7 Airlines, and Ural Airlines also arrive at Terminal 3.
Design Solutions
Passengers arriving in Beijing note the scale of PEK Airport and its cutting-edge design solutions. The most impressive is the building of Terminal No. 3. Its architectural ensemble imitates fragments of the Great Wall of China, a copper vat - an attribute of the Forbidden City, as well as other famous sights, including those of a mythological nature.
The ceiling of this terminal is also unusual. It is painted in orange shades, very diverse. It includes white stripes that serve as signs, which are easy enough for passengers to navigate. The roof itself is red. In China, it is believed that this shade brings good luck. It has a large number of windows that allow you to achieve maximumlighting inside the terminal. A control tower has been erected on the northern end side of Terminal No. 3. Its height is over 98 meters. It is the tallest building in Beijing Airport.
Infrastructure for passengers
Chinese PEK Airport has a developed infrastructure that is present in every terminal. For passengers with children, mothers with babies, there are special lounges and well-equipped playrooms.
For persons with disabilities there are places for comfortable rest. They feature low reception desks, private elevators and restrooms. There are tactile indicators for the visually impaired.
Medical centers in each terminal and massage rooms are available around the clock.
There are more than 70 different catering establishments at the airport (cafes, bars, tea houses, fast food outlets). Especially popular in Terminal No. 3 is a cafe called World Cuisine.
Each of the terminals has its own chain of stores, which has a wide range of goods. The duty-free zone at Beijing Airport has a large area where you can buy almost any product that is sold duty-free.
Also, there are several bank branches in Terminal No. 3, in other terminals there are enough ATMs and currency exchange offices.
Beijing PEK Airport has a well-equipped business center where electronicdevices (faxes, copiers, computers). In all terminals, as well as in other places around Beijing Airport, there are stands for charging mobile phones (gadgets).
All terminals are equipped with modern hygiene systems, there is the possibility of using showers.
Luggage storage at Beijing Capital Airport is open 24 hours a day, payment for their services is affordable. Porters can be hired in departure halls and baggage claim areas.
Terminals are interconnected by transport communication, which is carried out by means of shuttle buses. They run at short intervals and deliver in just a few minutes to the destination. Traveling on this transport is free.
Beijing Airport has a developed wireless Internet system. You will need a username and password to access. They are received through special information machines that provide the necessary information upon presentation of a passport.
Hotels
There are a large number of different hotels near Beijing Airport. There are many of them on the way to the city. The closest one is about 700 meters away. Visitors to Beijing airport assure that every 100 meters from the airport there are hotels where it is possible to find a room of any price category. At the same time, even the most inexpensive ones have air conditioning, a TV, a refrigerator, and a shower room. All hotels are provided with access to Wi-Fi. Parking everywhere is free.
Baggage service
Beijing International Airport is proud of its baggage delivery system operating in Terminal 3, which cost nearly $240 million. This structure has yellow cards with an individual code. The same barcode is on every item on the card. This system makes movement very efficient. In the luggage compartment of Terminal No. 3, more than 200 video cameras are installed, automatically monitoring the situation.
The baggage handling system handles over 19,000 items per hour. Moreover, the speed of its work is impressive, which is aimed at reducing the time from the moment the aircraft arrives to the passenger receiving their things. This time slot has been reduced to 4.5 minutes.
How to get there
There are various ways to get to and from PEK Airport. The most popular is the train - Airport Express. It can be taken directly from the 2nd, 10th, 13th subway line of Beijing city. Tourists are advised to use it as it is the most reliable way to arrive on time. Traffic jams in Beijing periodically occur. On the way to the airport, the train stops twice, at the third terminal, then at the second.
According to tourists from Russia, Beijing Airport is a building that is striking in its scale. Beautiful and huge. Some travelers suggest including it in excursion programs. And a photo of the PEK airport as a keepsake is an obligatory attribute of every tourist who has visited it.
