Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) stands as one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs and serves as the primary international gateway to China’s capital city. With its impressive architecture, extensive facilities, and strategic importance, PEK has become an essential component of China’s civil aviation network and a symbol of the nation’s rapid development.
History and Development
Established on March 1, 1958, Beijing Capital International Airport began as a modest facility with a single terminal building and one 2,500-meter runway. The original terminal still stands today, mainly serving VIPs and charter flights. The runway was later extended to 3,200 meters in 1966 and reached 3,800 meters by 1982. A second runway measuring 3,200 meters was completed in October 1978, marking the airport’s first major expansion.
The next significant development came on January 1, 1980, with the opening of Terminal 1—featuring a distinctive green color and docking capacity for 10-12 aircraft. By the mid-1990s, however, this terminal had become inadequate for the growing passenger traffic.
In late 1999, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, the airport underwent another expansion with Terminal 2 opening on November 1. Terminal 1 was temporarily closed for renovations and reopened on September 20, 2004.
The most ambitious expansion began in 2007 with the addition of a third runway on October 29, followed by the completion of Terminal 3 in February 2008—just in time for the Beijing Summer Olympics. This expansion included a rail link to the city center, significantly enhancing the airport’s connectivity and capacity.
Quick Facts and Statistics
- IATA Code: PEK (derived from the city’s former romanized name, Peking)
- ICAO Code: ZBAA
- Location: 32 km (20 miles) northeast of Beijing’s city center
- Area: 1,480 hectares (3,657 acres)
- Terminals: Three main terminals (T1, T2, and T3)
- Runways: Two 4E-class runways and one 4F-class runway
- Passenger Traffic: The airport handled approximately 67.5 million passengers in 2024, showing strong recovery from the pandemic years but still below its 2019 peak of over 100 million passengers.
- Rankings: Before the pandemic, Beijing Capital had rapidly ascended in rankings of the world’s busiest airports. It overtook Tokyo-Haneda Airport as the busiest airport in Asia in terms of passenger traffic and total traffic movements in 2009, and was the world’s second busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic from 2010 to 2019.
- Terminal 3: PEK’s Terminal 3 is the second largest passenger terminal in the world.
Terminal Facilities
Terminal 1
Originally opened in 1980, Terminal 1 has undergone several renovations. It houses 16 gates and primarily serves Chinese domestic flights operated by the HNA Group, including Hainan Airlines, Beijing Capital Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, and Grand China Air. As of 2023, Terminal 1 was closed and reopened as part of Terminal 2, now operating as the Westwing Satellite Terminal.
Terminal 2
Opened in 1999 to replace Terminal 1 while it underwent renovation, Terminal 2 is significantly larger with a floor area of 336,000 square meters. This terminal can handle the Airbus A380 and currently serves several major airlines including Hainan Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and SriLankan Airlines.
Terminal 2 offers a comprehensive range of facilities, including:
- Domestic and international flight sections
- Various dining options
- Duty-free shopping areas
- Business services
- Banking facilities
- Lounges for premium passengers
Terminal 3
Terminal 3, completed in February 2008 for the Beijing Olympics, is the newest and largest of the three terminals. It’s one of Terminal 3’s highlights is the US$240 million luggage-transfer system equipped with yellow carts that have codes matching the bar codes on luggage for easy and accurate tracking.
With a floor space measuring 1,713,000 square meters, it is the second-largest passenger terminal in the world. Terminal 3 consists of three sub-concourses (T3C, T3D, and T3E) and features:
- A 300,000 square meter transportation hub with a 7,000-car garage
- Designated traffic lanes for airport buses, taxis, and private vehicles
- 243 elevators, escalators, or moving walkways
- An automated people mover connecting the sub-concourses with a 2-5 minute one-way trip
- Premium lounges for various airlines and alliances
- Extensive shopping, dining, and entertainment options
- Business centers and meeting facilities
- Prayer rooms and relaxation areas
Airlines and Destinations
Beijing Capital International Airport serves as a critical hub for several major airlines:
- Main Hub for: Air China (Terminal 2 and 3)
- Hub for: China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, and SF Airlines
- Focus City for: Sichuan Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, and Shandong Airlines
Terminal assignments are typically organized as follows:
- Terminal 2 serves Hainan Airlines and SkyTeam (with the exception of China Airlines), Oneworld member SriLankan Airlines, and other domestic and international flights.
- Terminal 3 serves Air China, Star Alliance members, most Oneworld members (except SriLankan Airlines), and SkyTeam member China Airlines.
Popular international destinations from PEK include Bangkok, Busan, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Moscow, Singapore, Tokyo, and Toronto. Major domestic destinations include Chongqing, Fuzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Shenzhen, and Xiamen.
With the opening of Beijing Daxing International Airport in 2019, some airlines have relocated to the new facility, including China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and China United Airlines, while Air China and Hainan Airlines remain at Capital.
Ground Transportation
Beijing Capital International Airport offers multiple transportation options to connect passengers to the city and beyond:
Airport Express
The Airport Express Line of the Beijing Subway provides quick and easy access to downtown Beijing. The route runs from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 to Sanyuanqiao to Dongzhimen, with service hours from approximately 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM. The journey from Terminal 3 to Dongzhimen takes about 16-30 minutes, with trains running every 10 minutes. The fare is CNY 25 per person.
Airport Shuttle Buses
Passengers can take advantage of 16 airport shuttle bus routes connecting Beijing Capital International Airport to various locations throughout the city, including Fangzhuang, Xidan, Beijing Railway Station, Beijing West Railway Station, Beijing South Railway Station, and many other areas. Fares vary depending on the route, with five fare steps at CNY 15, 18, 21, 24, and 30.
Taxis
Official taxi stands are located outside Gates 5 to 9 on the first floor of Terminal 2 and on level B1 of Terminal 3. The journey to central Beijing typically takes 45-60 minutes, though traffic jams are common, especially during peak hours from 7:00-9:00 AM and 5:00-7:00 PM.
Private Transfers
Private transfer services are available for those seeking a more personalized experience, offering convenience and reliability, especially during busy periods.
Inter-Terminal Transportation
A free 24-hour shuttle service connects Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, with buses departing every 10-15 minutes. The pickup points are at Gate 5 on the first floor of Terminal 3 and Gate 7 of the arrival floor of Terminal 2.
Transit and Visa Policies
All international transit passengers can stay in the airport’s transit area for a 24-hour direct transit without going through border inspections, provided both the arrival and connecting flights are international. Since December 28, 2017, passport holders from 54 countries and regions are granted a 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit when taking an international transfer via Capital Airport.
The airport also provides detailed minimum connection times:
- Same Terminal Transfers:
- Domestic to Domestic: 60 minutes in T2 & T3
- Domestic to/from International: 120 minutes
- International to International: 100 minutes in T2; 60 minutes in T3
- Between Terminals Transfers:
- Domestic to Domestic: 120 minutes
- Domestic to/from International: 160 minutes
- International to International: 120 minutes
The Future of Beijing’s Airports
The opening of Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) in 2019 has significantly impacted the future development of Beijing Capital International Airport. Daxing Airport is located at the frontier between Beijing and Langfang in Hebei Province, approximately 46 km from Tiananmen Square and 67 km from Beijing Capital International Airport.
The new mega-airport hub served more than 39.4 million passengers in 2023 and is expected to eventually reach 100 million passengers annually. With plans to expand to seven runways and handle about 620,000 flights annually, Daxing Airport aims to become the main airport hub of the region.
The relationship between the two airports is complementary rather than competitive, with specific airlines assigned to each facility:
- Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK): Remains the base for Air China, Hainan Airlines, and most Star Alliance carriers
- Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX): Serves as the hub for China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, China United Airlines, Beijing Capital Airlines, and Xiamen Air, as well as most SkyTeam Alliance members and some Oneworld carriers.
This dual-airport system allows Beijing to handle increasing air traffic while optimizing operations and alleviating congestion at PEK, which had reached its capacity limits before the pandemic.
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