With a booming economy and an aviation industry that is expanding at break-neck speed, it is little wonder that Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) is looking to establish itself as the leading air logistics hub of North East Asia.
Located 20km to the north-east of Beijing city centre, BCIA has experienced remarkable passenger growth in recent years, serving 65.3 million passengers and over 1.4 million tonnes of cargo in 2009 making it the third busiest airport in the world.
Between 2000-2008, Beijing Capital International Airport leapt up the ranking of world airports from number 93 to 21 by ATM; from number 42 to number 8 by passenger throughput and from number 31 to 18 by cargo volume.
In a unique benchmark of cooperation Beijing Capital Airport and Airport City Development Co Ltd (ACL), have established an ambitious master plan to create an airport city built around cargo operations - the Airport City Logistics Park (ACLP).
Covering an area of 2.7 million square metres, the Airport City Logistics Park is a fully integrated freight processing facility and a 'one stop customs clearance centre' for companies involved in the import and export of goods to China.
Part of the newly created Beijing Tianzhu Integrated Free Trade Zone, the $880 million logistics park comprises five major zones consisting of the airport's Air Cargo Terminal, an Express Cargo Complex, the Bonded Logistics Centre, import/export warehousing and an office complex.
The creation of the Beijing Airport City is being driven by the airport and ACL, which is responsible for the planning, developing and management of the new cargo logistics park.
Once fully established the Beijing Airport City will evolve into a multi-functional architectural mega structure centred on the airport, integrating air transport, logistics, shopping malls, tourism, leisure and industrial development.
"The Airport City Logistics Park project will provide our clients with the best solutions for advanced planning, facilities and services and help them reduce logistics costs and improve returns," says Desmond Shum, vice chairman and CEO of ACL.
"With the development of the ACLP and the Beijing Tianzhu Free Trade Zone, we will provide an impetus to the local economy, provide more job opportunities, and create value for metropolitan development," adds Shum.
The airport is well positioned to capture future growth in air cargo volumes given its status as a major Chinese airport hub and the access it provides to one of the largest consumer markets in China, as well as the wider Bohai Bay region.
The airport has quickly developed a huge - and ever growing - route network. At the end of 2008, BCIA had connections to 96 domestic destinations, covering most of China's vast mainland, plus 91 international destinations including Hong Kong and Macau.
By building on the experiences of other successful airport cities and its understanding of the unique conditions in Beijing, ACL has drawn up a forward-looking business model to drive economic development in the region over the coming decades.
