The third runway at Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA)
became operational on Monday, easing the traffic pressure at the
country's busiest airport.
"The airport handles 1,100 arrival and departure flights every
day. That will probably rise to 1,500 to 1,600 and peak at 1,900
during the Olympics next year, so the third runway is much needed,
" said a BCIA spokesperson.
This new runway, which is equipped with an advanced landing
guidance system and is 3,800 meters in length and 60 meters in
width, passed the appraisal by the General Administration of Civil
Aviation of China (CAAC) on Oct. 20 and went into use as
scheduled.
"The new runway is able to accommodate the largest airliner in
the world, the Airbus A380," said airport general manager Zhang
Zhizhong.
It is part of an expansion project that includes a new terminal
building, 100 new aprons, a cargo zone and auxiliary
facilities.
The project will enable the airport to accommodate 60 million
passengers and handle 1.8 million tons of cargo each year. The new
terminal building is expected to come into use in February
2008.
Meanwhile, the civil aviation authority has submitted a proposal
for the site of the planned second Beijing international airport to
the central government for approval.
"The preliminary site is to the south of the city and near the
Yongding River," said a CAAC official.
"Beijing has reserved Lixian Town in Daxing District as a
candidate site," said Shen Baochang, Communist Party secretary of
the district.
In the past, there had been speculation that the new airport
might be built in Langfang, in neighboring Hebei Province, or in
Tianjin Municipality or at the Nanyuan Airport in Daxing
District.
"Lixian Town, in the jurisdiction of the capital, is in the
plain area of the Yongding River, with easy access to expressways
leading to downtown Beijing. It is ideal for a large international
airport," added Shen.
"Nanyuan Airport is currently used by both civilian and military
aircraft. Its infrastructure is old. It is near the fifth southern
ring road and is too close to the downtown area," Shen said.
Location surveys for the new airport site were conducted in 2002
and 2003, but the scheme was suspended when it was decided to
expand the BCIA first.
"When the location plan was approved by the central government,
the CAAC will conduct a feasibility research," said the official
from the CAAC.
Experts believe a second airport will greatly boost the economic
development of the whole Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area.
(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2007)
