180373cf84321605579b01.jpg (Photo : China Daily)
An artist's impression of China's new international airport was displayed on Dec. 24, Wednesday, during a ceremony that announced Friday as the start of the structure's construction.
With a price tag of 80 billion yuan, the historic project will be the country's most expensive aviation project ever.
Located in the capital Beijing, 46 kilometers south of Tian'anmen Square in the Daxing district, China's second international aviation hub will be done to alleviate the growing air travel demands from both Chinese citizens and overseas travelers.
Upon completion in 2019, the as-yet unnamed airport will eventually service 72 million passengers, 2 million metric tons of cargo and 620,000 yearly flights beyond 2025.
The Chinese government has also shown a cognizance of the impact that the new initiative will have on local residents, as a compensation package was also mentioned on Wednesday. Zhou Laizhen, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration, explained:
"The compensation plan for those who will be relocated to make way for the new airport has been decided, although demolition work has yet to start. About 70 percent of the villages affected are in Beijing, while the rest are in Hebei Province."
Ownership of the airport has been added to the portfolio of Capital Airports Holding Co., which is also the nation's largest airport operator. In terms of management, the Civil Aviation Administration will partner with government officials from the Beijing municipality and Hebei Province, and executive representatives from an as-yet unknown new company that will be involved in the operation of the hub.
