The new airport under construction in Beijing's southern Daxing district will be one of the world's largest commercial aviation hub, with seven runways and handling an annual 100 million passengers.
Speaking at the China Design Festival, developer Wang Baoling confirmed that the first phase of the airport would open in 2019 – with four runways capable of accommodating up to 45 million passengers per year.
The second phase of the project will continue to be developed, with capacity due to be expanded to 72 million passengers by 2025.
When the entire development is completed in 2040, total capacity is expected to be capable of accommodating up to 100 million passengers annually.
Work on the new airport has begun, with the design overseen by architect Zaha Hadid.
The facility itself will be shaped to resemble a phoenix, complementing the existing dragon shaped Beijing Capital International airport.
The design will enable baggage to be transported to and from the airport in under 13 minutes, while passengers will be able to walk from customs to the boarding gates within eight minutes.
Clement Huang