T3 a saga of China's - and man's - progress

The seemingly never-ending fiasco of Terminal 5 in London's Heathrow has succeeded in eclipsing the astounding success of Terminal 3 in Beijing.

Coincidentally, T5 in London opened for partial operations on March 27, just a day after T3 in Beijing opened for full operations on March 26. But the difference and the contrast could not have been greater and sharper. Just as T5 in London has been plagued with shocking failures, agonizing plights over missing luggage and stranded passengers ready to erupt like a smoking volcano, T3 in Beijing has been operating almost without a glitch and is as smooth as silk and as sweet as honey.

While T5 in London could handle 1.2 million bags an hour, T3 in Beijing could handle 2 million. While T5 in London would add 30 million passengers per year, T3 in Beijing would add more. While T5 in London mostly services British Airways, T3 in Beijing services Air China and two dozen other airlines.