Beijing Daxing International Airport opened in 2019 with the hope that it would one day become one of the world’s busiest airports
A commercial pilot was left stunned when he visited a massive £13.4bn airport terminal. Beijing Daxing International Airport opened its doors in 2019 to help alleviate the number of passengers using the city’s primary airport.
The huge 2,679-hectare (6,620-acre) airport features four runways for commercial flights as well as one for military aircraft. It has become known as “the starfish” due to its shape.
Travel vlogger Stefan Drury shared his astonishment upon exploring what is recognised as the world’s largest airport terminal. In his video, he remarked: “I’ve been here once before and the security is extreme to say the least.
“There’s security guards out in the taxi area, there’s a security check to actually get into the airport, not to get into the secure section, but to actually access the airport. It’s a highly protected and very secure environment, which is great for aviation.”
Despite the grandeur of the terminal, Stefan was struck by the sparse number of passengers inside. Designed to handle between 120 to 200 million travellers annually, it aims to surpass Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, as the busiest airport globally.
Stefan commented on the quietness of the shopping area after entering, saying: “Some of them [the shops] don’t seem very open and it also doesn’t seem very busy.
“I don’t know if that’s just the day that I’m here, or not as many people are still using this airport, whether people are still using Beijing’s other airport, Beijing Capital.”
He found the lack of crowds surprising: “This is actually a bit bizarre now to be honest, that there are so few people actually here. I know this is an airport that is being developed for the future and not every airline is operating out of here at the moment and Beijing Capital is obviously a bigger airport and more popular airport and because of its location a lot more people use it, but still for an airport that’s been open since 2019, it does seem to be very, very empty.”
Stefan was taken aback upon discovering a serene Chinese garden within the terminal, continuing: “This is a first, I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like this inside the security controlled area of an international airport before.
“What a very cool place just to come and chill out before a flight, get a little bit of peace and quiet and get out from the stuffy air-conditioning inside and come and hang with the fish. This is really nice, very peaceful, and there’s not many people here either.”
In conclusion, Stefan was thoroughly impressed by the new Chinese airport: “I have to say I’m wildly impressed by the design of this airport.
“We’re traditionally used to having those rectangular boxes, which are divided up into multiple terminals, so it’s nice to see a brand new airport like this one here in Beijing that is purpose built for the expansion that is expected to see down the line into the future.”