British Airways Launches First International Flight to Beijing’s Daxing International Airport

British Airways has made its first flight into Beijing’s Daxing International Airport, making it the first international carrier to use the airport since its official opening last month.

Daxing has claimed the title of the world’s largest airport, as well as one of the most technologically advanced. Passengers traveling through Daxing are set to experience a range of innovations as they traverse the new terminal building, including facial recognition and self-service biometrics at security, self-service check-in kiosks and baggage drop machines, a paperless journey from check-in to boarding, and real-time baggage tracking.

In addition to enhancing the customer experience, Daxing also boasts some impressive sustainability-focused innovations. The terminal building features numerous improvements aimed at maximizing the use of natural light and limiting energy consumption.

The facility is powered by photovoltaic solar panels and has a centralized heating system, with waste heat recovery supported by a ground-source heat pump. It also has a state-of-the-art rainwater collection and water management system linked to nearby wetlands, lakes and streams to prevent flooding and counter the summer “heat island” effect on the local microclimate.

“British Airways is hugely proud to be the first international airline to fly into Beijing Daxing,” said Noella Ferns, British Airways’ executive vice president in Greater China and the Philippines. “This stunning and innovative new airport and the world-class customer experience it provides will play an important part in our strategy to increase travel between China, the UK and beyond.”

The airport is expecting to reach a capacity of 45 million passengers by 2022, increasing to 72 million by 2025. And while British Airways may have been the first airline to utilize the new facility, many more are expected to follow suit. Other international carriers —including Royal Brunei Airlines, Himalaya Airlines, Lot Polish, and Finnair — are all scheduled to operate flights into the airport in the near future, with more expected by 2020.