Foreign airlines encouraged to consider new Beijing airport

The Civil Aviation Administration of China encourages overseas airlines to open international flights to Beijing Daxing International Airport, which will begin operations before Sept 30, whether going all-in or operating in Beijing's two airports, a senior official said.

Gu Xiaohong, deputy director of the administration's general affairs department, said Monday at a press conference that overseas carriers, in line with their strategic planning and market demands, are free to move their services to the newly built airport, with the option of having a presence in both Daxing Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport.

So far, British Airways has announced it will move all its operations from the current Beijing Capital Airport to the new airport, and Ethiopian Airlines, Polish Airlines, Finnair, Malaysia Airlines and Royal Air Maroc haven't made a decision on Daxing Airport alone or both, he said.

Starting from the winter and spring season, a total of 16 domestic airlines and eight overseas carriers including China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines and Himalaya Airlines, plan to operate out of Beijing Daxing International Airport, and the airport will then serve a network of 116 routes and 112 domestic and foreign destinations, according to the administration.