Beijing’s highly anticipated Daxing International Airport officially opened Wednesday, ahead of the October 1 celebration marking the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, said Caixin.
President Xi Jinping visited the Chinese capital’s second major international airport to announce its official opening. In the afternoon, aircraft operated by seven Chinese airlines took off from the airport with select groups of passengers to mark the opening. Tickets for flights to and from the airport will go on sale to the public starting Monday.
Located 46 kilometers (29 miles) south of the city center, the RMB 80 billion ($11 billion) Daxing International Airport has been billed as the world’s largest flight terminal in a single building, covering 700,000 square meters (173 acres), China Daily reported. Construction on the airport began four years ago and was finished in June.