Beijing Daxing Airport
Beijing Daxing Airport

Review: Beijing Daxing International Airport

Neo Li·
AirportChina EasternChina SouthernTrip Report

Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), the second international airport in Beijing, opened on September 29th 2019 with the second-largest single-building airport terminal in the world.

I visited the airport one week after its opening to experience its daily operation. To get to the airport from Beijing city centre there are two railway options, many airport bus routes and of course you can drive.

High-Speed Train

A new high-speed railway service connecting the urban area of Beijing to the new airport was opened on September 26th 2019. The train departs from Beijing West railway station and takes only 28 minutes to the airport, with a top speed of 250 km/h (160 mph).

a close up of a ticket
Beijing West – Daxing Airport Business Class Train Ticket

Beijing West railway station connects Beijing subway Line 7 and Line 9. It is the largest railway station in Asia and serves a maximum of 400,000 people per day. Currently, there is a dedicated entrance for passengers going to Daxing Airport at the centre of the station.

a large building with people walking in front of it
Beijing West Railway Station
  • a large building with a large screen on it
    Beijing West Railway Station South Entrance
  • a group of people walking in a large airport
    Beijing West Railway Station Interior
  • people walking in front of a building
    Dedicated Entrance for Daxing Airport

Ticketing centres are located on either side of the entrance.

a group of people outside of a building
Ticketing Center

All trains serving Daxing Airport depart from Waiting Room 10, Business Class passengers can use the lounge at Waiting Room 12.

a woman with a backpack in front of a sign
Waiting Room 10
  • a woman sitting in a stroller in front of a waiting room
    Waiting Room 12
  • a room with chairs and a table
    Business Class Lounge
  • a group of people standing in front of a sign
    Ticket Check

Each day a dozen trains serve each way with three different classes, Business Class, First Class, and Second Class. Note that every seat on the train has charging ports and has access to free WiFi.

  • a train at a train station
    CR400AF (Fuxing) Train
  • a train station with people walking and walking
    CR400AF (Fuxing) Train
  • a sign with text on it
    Speed

Business Class is above First and features full-flat seats in 1-1 or 1-2 configurations.

  • a group of seats in a train
    Business Class
  • a seat in a plane
    Business Class
  • a seat in a room
    Business Class
  • a close up of a power outlet
    Charging Port
  • a sign on a wall
    WiFi
  • a seat with a metal object on it
    Tray Table

First Class is in a 2-2 configuration with seats all facing forward.

  • a group of people standing in a train
    First Class
  • a couple of people sitting in a train
    First Class

Second Class is also in a 2-2 configuration but with narrower seats facing both forward and rearward.

  • a group of people sitting on seats in a train
    Second Class
  • a group of people sitting on a train
    Second Class

Two trains each day have a short stop at Beijing Daxing station.

  • a sign on a building
    Beijing Daxing Station
  • a sign in a station
    Beijing Daxing Station
  • a large wall with a sign on it
    Beijing Daxing Station

Daxing Airport Station has full platform screen doors installed.

  • a group of people in a lobby
    Daxing Airport Station
  • a group of people walking in a building
    Daxing Airport Station
  • a large empty airport terminal
    Daxing Airport Station
  • a sign in a building
    Daxing Airport Station
  • a group of people walking in a hallway
    Daxing Airport Station

At Daxing Airport Station, you can either go to the manual ticketing window or use one of the ticketing machines shown below.

a row of machines in a building
Automatic Ticketing

Subway

Another railway transportation that connects the airport to the urban area of Beijing is the Daxing Airport Express of Beijing Subway. The line links Caoqiao station on Line 10 to the airport.

  • a man walking in a building
    Caoqiao Station
  • a escalator in a building
    Caoqiao Station
  • a white pillar with a sign on it
    Caoqiao Station

You can easily check-in at the city terminal in Caoqiao Station and that includes any luggage that you may have. Your checked luggage will take the first section of the subway, which is a luggage car, to the airport directly.

people standing in a line in a airport
Daxing Airport City Terminal

The line operates at a top speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) and is fully automated. The travel time from Caoqiao to the Airport is only 19 minutes. Ordinary Class one-way fare is ¥35 and Business Class one-way fare is ¥50 from Caoqiao to Daxing Airport. I love the design of the ticket.

a blue card with a picture on it
Daxing Airport Express One-way Ticket

The Business Class is in a 1-2 configuration and each seat gets a tray table, a reading light and a USB charging port.

  • a train with red seats
    Business Class
  • a train with seats in the back
    Business Class
  • a window on a train
    Business Class
  • a seat in a train
    Business Class
  • a red seat with a usb port
    Business Class
  • a close up of a speaker
    Business Class

The Ordinary Class is in a 2-2 configuration and each seat gets a USB charging port.

a train with seats in the back
Ordinary Class
  • a train with seats and a person sitting in it
    Ordinary Class
  • a train with seats and a window
    Ordinary Class
  • a close up of a seat
    Ordinary Class

Between Caoqiao and Daxing Airport, there is another station called Daxing Xincheng; do not get off at the wrong station!

  • a screen above a door
    Daxing Xincheng
  • a sign on a wall
    Daxing Xincheng
  • a glass wall with a sign on it
    Daxing Xincheng

Daxing Airport Station has many automatic ticketing machines.

  • a group of machines in a building
    Daxing Airport Station
  • people standing in a large hall
    Daxing Airport Station

Business Class passengers get a dedicated boarding area and there is even a small lounge inside.

  • a woman walking in a hallway
    Business Class
  • a glass doors with a sign on the front
    Business Class
  • a room with chairs and a man standing in front of the door
    Business Class

Even the Subway station is beautifully designed to reflect the style of the airport.

  • a large white and yellow building with columns and people walking
    Daxing Airport Station
  • a group of glass beads from a ceiling
    Daxing Airport Station

Check-In

For domestic flights, there are check-in counters in all three departure levels (4F, 3F, B1) even underground. On the B1 floor, there are check-in counters right across the subway and the train stations.

  • a large room with computers and a black railing
    B1 Check-in
  • a check in area with monitors and screens
    B1 Check-in
  • a group of white electronic machines in a hallway
    B1 Check-in
  • people in a large hall
    B1 Check-in
  • people in an airport with a few people behind them
    B1 Check-in

On the third floor, there are check-in areas for premium passengers. China Southern‘s is located on the west side and China Eastern‘s is located on the east side.

  • a person standing in front of a glass door
  • a building with a glass door

The fourth floor has check-in counters for all flights. In the future when international flights begin, their check-in counters will also be located here.

  • people in a large airport
  • people standing in a line at an airport
  • a group of white kiosks in a room with a group of people

There are many automated machines at the check-in counters and if you look carefully, you will find that the luggage belt is on the same level as the floor; this means that you do not need to lift the luggage at check-in anymore. All airports should install a belt like this.

Currently, China United Airlines, as the first airline operating at Daxing, is offering a beautiful special boarding pass.

a ticket with a picture of planes and a bridge
China United Airlines Special Boarding Pass

Security

For domestic flights, there are security checkpoints both on the B1 and on the third floor. B1 checkpoint has the most efficient design I found at Daxing. Stepping out from the subway, 5 minutes walk to the security, 5 minutes get through it and within the next 5 minutes you are at the boarding gate.

a group of people in a large hall
Security Checkpoint B1

The third-floor security is designed for all domestic departures and we can expect exclusive security in both premium areas. Later, for international flights, passengers will go through customs and security on the fourth floor.

people walking in a large hall
Security Checkpoint 3F

Terminal

The airport’s master plan was designed by Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO). The terminal building was designed by British architects Zaha Hadid Architects and French planners ADPI, it was executed by the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD). Designed by all these top architects in the world, Daxing Airport is one of the most beautiful airports I have ever visited.

  • a large building with many windows
  • a large building with a glass roof
  • a large building with a curved roof
  • a building with many rows of green plants
  • a group of people walking on a road
  • a large white building with black lines
  • a large airport with people walking around
  • a group of people in a large room
  • a large white and black building with a flag from the ceiling
  • a group of people in a large airport
  • a large white building with black stripes
  • a large white building with many windows
  • a large white and black building with a circular ceiling
  • a large glass building with a large window
  • a moving walkway in a building
  • a large building with a walkway and a sign
  • a ceiling with many stars from it
  • a plane on the tarmac
  • a red tape on the floor
  • a white tower in front of a large airport
  • a man standing at a reception desk in a building

In the resting area there are many different kinds of seats, including working desks with charging ports and a children’s area.

  • a large white building with many chairs
  • a white curved object in a room with windows
  • a large window with many tables and chairs
  • a group of silver objects on a carpet in a room with large windows
  • a red playground in a building

For lounges, both China Southern and China Eastern have their own; the airport also operates a lounge for other airlines. Passengers travelling on the second floor of an Airbus A380s can expect to board the upstairs directly.

  • a large office with a glass railing
  • a reception desk in a building
  • a sign on a stand next to a set of escalators

At each end of the five concourses, there is a different outdoor courtyard.

  • a large hall with signs and a large ceiling
  • a building with a roof and a garden
  • a glass wall with a fountain in front of a building

Shops & Restaurants

Daxing Airport has over a hundred different shops and restaurants across the terminal. Passengers can get more stuff from here than from many shopping malls. Eaters can taste Beijing roast duck, hotpot, dumplings, milk tea and almost every other thing you can think of. These are also banks, postal offices, travel agencies, supermarkets and fruit stores in the terminal.

  • a building with glass doors
  • a storefront with a man walking in front of it
  • a group of people in a building
  • a group of people standing in a hallway
  • a group of people walking in a building
  • a building with a glass door and a glass ceiling
  • a large building with glass windows
  • a store in a mall
  • a storefronts in a building
  • a building with a glass wall and a sign
  • a store front with a sign
  • a store front with a sign
  • a store with a display of clothes
  • a storefront with people standing in front of it
  • a store front with a yellow sign
  • a store in a building
  • a store front with a sign
  • a store front with a sign
  • a storefront with a sign in the window
  • a storefront with a sign in the middle of a mall
  • a building with a glass wall and a sign
  • a storefront with a sign in the window
  • a large glass building with a store in it
  • a storefront in a mall
  • a building with a door and a sign
  • a building with glass doors
  • a group of people walking in a building
  • a restaurant with a white ceiling
  • a red and white building with a sign on the wall
  • a walkway in a building
  • a storefront with orange lights
  • a store front with a sign
  • a logo on the wall
  • a white building with metal doors
  • a man standing at a counter in a building
  • a glass building with a sign
  • a store front with a sign
  • a store with a sign and a storefront
  • people walking in front of a building
  • a store front with mannequins in front of a store
  • a group of people in a mall
  • a man walking in a large building
  • a store front with a sign
  • a store front with a sign
  • a group of people in a building
  • a building with a glass wall and a counter
  • a hallway with brown doors and a white ceiling
  • a store front with a door and a sign
  • a building with a large white door
  • a large white building with a gated entrance
  • a store front with a sign and plants
  • a store front with mannequins in front of it
  • a store front with a sign and a man on the phone
  • a store front with a sign
  • a store front with clothes on display
  • a storefront with a sign
  • a store front with glass doors
  • a man walking past a store
  • a storefront with glass doors
  • a store front with a person standing in front of it
  • a glass door with a sign on it
  • a building with a store front
  • a storefronts in a building
  • a man walking in front of a store
  • a building with glass doors and a sign
  • a store front with a sign
  • a store front with a woman standing behind a counter
  • a store in a building
  • a store front with mannequins and clothes on display
  • a storefront with a sign
  • a man walking in a mall
  • a glass building with a sign on the front
  • a glass building with a large ceiling
  • a glass building with a sign
  • a store front with signs
  • a man and woman standing in a mall
  • a store with a sign and people in it
  • a store front with a man standing in front of it
  • a large building with a glass wall and a sign
  • a store front with a sign
  • a storefront with food on display
  • people walking in a building
  • a man walking in a hallway
  • a food court with a sign on the front
  • a coffee shop with a large walkway
  • a storefront with shelves and people walking
  • a building with a glass door
  • a storefront with a red counter and shelves
  • a group of people inside a building
  • a green and white storefront with a green wall and chairs
  • a store front with a panda bear shaped archway
  • a store front with people standing in front of it
  • people standing in front of a store
  • a group of people walking outside a store
  • a man walking in front of a store
  • a store front with glass doors
  • a building with a blue wall and a blue sign
  • a man walking in a store

Bottom Line

Daxing Airport is definitely one of those airports where I would be willing to spend a whole day to transfer. The scale of automation use is incredible, from check-in to security to boarding. If feels as if there are unlimited food choices and stores to check out. Most importantly, getting to or from the city centre is fast and comfortable.

How do you feel about Beijing Daxing Airport? Do you want to fly there one day?