Later this year the new Beijing Daxing International Airport will open to help take congestion from Beijing Capital’s three terminals. But more than just a place to fly, the Chinese want to make the airport a hub for economic growth and as such Dubai and China will unite to develop world’s largest airport.

At a recent ceremony held at the China National International Convention Centre, Dubai-based global developer Emaar signed a memorandum of understanding with Beijing New Aeropolis Holdings (BNA) to jointly develop a Business and Tourism Complex, integrating retail, entertainment, office, hotel hospitality, convention, sport, art and lifestyle functions in a one-stop solution within the Aero-Economic Area of Beijing Daxing International Airport.

Emaar and BNA will work closely to drive diversified collaboration and actively accelerate the share of resources to boost the establishment of the Aero-Economic Area.

Emaar is a leading provider of premium lifestyles based in Dubai, UAE and develops lifestyle destinations in several high-growth markets globally. The group has a land bank of 1.6 billion square feet globally.

In addition to Downtown Dubai – home to Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall; the waterfront development Dubai Marina; and the Dubai Creek Harbour, Emaar has over 915,000 square metres of rental income assets and 19 hotels and resorts, with projects in the Middle East, North Africa, the US, Europe and South Asia.

Beijing Daxing International Airport covers a geographical area of 150 sq. kilometers, within which 100 sq. kilometers in Hebei and 50 sq. kilometers in the capital. 

On January 23, 2019, the first flight inspection began to be carried out and is expected to be completed in March. The airport was initially planned for airlines of the SkyTeam alliance to be relocated to the new airport, while Star Alliance airlines would remain at Capital.

This was confirmed in 2016, when the Civil Aviation Administration of China announced that China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines along with other SkyTeam airlines would move to the new airport, while Air China and other Star Alliance carriers would remain at Capital. China Southern, China Eastern and Beijing Capital Airlines’ intentions to move to Daxing were confirmed by a Xinhua report in December 2017.

Ten passenger airlines (China Southern Airlines, China United Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Beijing Capital Airlines, Hebei Airlines, Spring Airlines, Okay Airways, Juneyao Airlines, XiamenAir and Donghai Airlines) and one cargo airline (China Postal Airlines) have signed agreements with the Capital Airport Group to enter the new airport.