Largest Airport Terminal in the World is Almost Empty

BEIJING- Opened in 2019, Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) is preparing to welcome over 100 million passengers by 2040.

Stefan Dury, a commercial pilot and travel vlogger, has discovered China’s largest airport terminal, Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), which opened in 2019, with a sparse number of passengers.

Designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, the primary goal behind constructing the airport was to ease the flow of arrivals and departures.

This massive airport terminal spans across a 2,679-hectare area, featuring 82 boarding gates and five runways; four for commercial flights and one for military aircraft with high-end security.

The airport is currently undergoing construction to become the world’s busiest airport, welcoming over 100 million passengers by 2040.

Photo: Stefan Dury / YouTube

Beijing Daxing Airport: The World’s Largest Terminal

Stefan Drury, a commercial pilot and travel blogger, created a complete airport video. In one of his videos, he admitted, “The security here (in Beijing Daxing International Airport) is extreme to say the least.”

He continued, “The security guards are stationed in every corner, like a taxi area, and security checks at the terminal gate are only to access the airport. It is a highly protected and very secure environment, which is great for the aviation industry.”

Moving further, what Stefan Drury found eccentric is the lack of passengers. After passing the security gates and inside the shopping center, Stefan observed, “Some of the commercial shops don’t seem to open, and it also doesn’t seem very busy (with arrivals and departures).”

Since most passengers still board at Beijing’s other airports, which are closer to the city center, such as Beijing Capital Airport. However, an airport express intercity train departs every six and a half minutes from Caoqiao Station, shortening the journey to 19 minutes to reach the airport.

Photo: Quant Foto / Flickr

Futuristic Architectural Features

Also known as the Beijing New Airport, Daxing’s International Airport, spanning 700,000 square meters of space, is the world’s largest single-building terminal with the longest walkways in China.

Located around 28.5 miles (46 km) south of the capital, the entire terminal resembles a six-legged, low-lying octopus. Because of the resemblance, the airport has also earned its name as “the starfish.”

About 1,000,000 square meters of space in the terminal accommodates an expansive center area and six concourses, resembling an octopus. The sixth concourse features a service building, housing offices, and a hotel facility, surrounded by the two parking buildings.

Stefan Drury couldn’t help but share his astonishment, to which he remarked, “I don’t think I have ever seen something like this inside the international airport’s security-controlled area before.”

The entire airport is well-equipped with air-conditioning while preserving the Chinese cultural tapestry with a colossal Chinese garden with diverse fish swimming.

Photo: By Arne Müseler / www.arne-mueseler.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=84791878

Estimated Construction Cost

According to the airport’s official website, after five years of construction, the estimated cost of building the terminal materialized to 80 billion Chinese yuan (US$11.4 billion).

The facility features the world’s largest single-building terminal. The Beijing New Airport has won the best hygiene measures and best in size and region awards in 2020. Additionally, Airports Council International awarded the airport the 2021 Voice of the Customer award.

While many major airports, such as Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Atlanta International Airport (ATL), continue to thrive as the busiest airports globally, the minimalist design with illustrious interiors and innovative features make Daxing International Airport (PKX) visually and functionally phenomenal.

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