Beijing unveils impressive new airport

The new terminal building in Beijing was unveiled on Wednesday, allowing the public the first glimpse at the multi-billion dollar investment that will handle huge passenger numbers during the Olympic Games in Beijing next year.

The building is extremely large and is constructed primarily of glass and steel. The graceful architecture and the elegantly sloped roof is just one of the features Zhang Zhizhong, general manager of Capital Airport Holding says is designed to give an excellent impression when visitors arrive at the airport.

Already the two older terminal buildings at Beijing Capital International Airport are worked to capacity and with the third building operational, some of this pressure is expected to be relieved.

Terminal 3 will take the brunt of the flights coming into the country for the Olympics as well as the large numbers of tourists the country is expecting in the next seven years.

The terminal won't be opened for business until February, when airport officials will test some of the building's more unique features, such as the new baggage handling system, the large runway capable of landing an A380 superjumbo jet and the rail system linking the city with the airport.

The architecture of the building attempts to combine traditional eastern styles with modern conveniences. Norman Foster was responsible for many of the building's features.

The baggage system was designed by Siemens AG, a German engineering firm and is reputably capable of handling 19,000 pieces of luggage per hour. The system cost US$250 million.

Executives from the airport estimate that the total cost of the building with all of its infrastructure included was somewhere around US$2.8 billion.




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Jennifer Jones Editorial


15/09/2007


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