Central People Government of People Re : New airport in Beijing expected to open in late September

Beijing Daxing International Airport, an 80 billion yuan ($11.6 billion) construction project that should improve international communication and boost the local economy, is expected to open by Sept 30, a senior official announced on Jan 3.

Eighty percent of the interior construction has been completed and all of the external construction has been finished, according to the new Beijing airport's office. The water supply pipeline network and transformer substations for electricity are ready.

The natural gas pipeline is being built and will soon be put into use, said Cui Xiaohao, deputy head of the Beijing Commission of Development and Reform and deputy director of the airport office.

'The new airport will help the capital to serve international travelers better when it opens,' he said. 'Given the strong regional transportation network between Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, one can reach Beijing's downtown center, Beijing's (governmental) sub center in Tongzhou district and Xiongan New Area within half an hour and go to nearby cities including Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Tangshan and Baoding within an hour after arriving at the airport.'

'The airport will provide transportation convenience for the integrated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province,' he said.

The new airport, which is expected to become North China's air travel hub, is situated on the border of Beijing and Langfang, Hebei province. It is 46 kilometers from Tian'anmen Square, 26 km from downtown Langfang, 55 km from the Xiongan New Area and 67 km from Beijing Capital International Airport.

Its construction adopted green and energy-saving concepts.

Zhang Ru, a representative of the airport construction headquarters, said the terminal's design incorporates natural light as much as possible, and many other technological innovations were used in building the integrated transportation network around the airport.