Beijing Capital Airport to Open 4th Runway in 2018

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is set to open its under-construction 4th runway in 2018 after its completion at the end of 2017, said Shi Boli, general manager of Beijing Capital International Airport Co., Ltd. (BCIA) at the fourth Beijing Global Friend Airport CEO Forum on Sep. 10.

The fourth runway, designed as a short auxiliary runway for the east runway, will be mainly used for the aircraft landing after its completion. The 2,800 meters long runway is expected to bring 8 million passengers annually, which would increase capacity and ease traffic pressures, according to Mr. Shi.

PEK is currently the world's second largest airport in terms of passenger traffic, behind only Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the U.S. It just took 12 years for the airport's passenger throughput volume growing from 10 million to 80 million between 2000 and 2012. The airport is expected to handle more than 90 million passengers, with an increase of 22 percent year on year. Cargo traffic and aircraft movements will record 21 percent and 14 percent yearly growth to 1.89 million tonnes and 590,000.

According to the long-term plan, PEK can handle 285 million international passengers and 175,000 international flights by 2020, which account for 33 percent of the total, Mr. Shi added. More international routes will be launched at PEK in the near future.