Spanning an impressive 2.7 million square metres, ACLP is a key part of plans to provide Beijing Capital International Airport with a modern, high volume, integrated airfreight centre underpinning its goal of becoming North East Asia's principal cargo hub.
With aviation operations at its core, the airport city clusters support industries such as high-tech manufacturing, bonded logistics and high value added industries, around it.
An ACL subsidiary, Beijing Airport City Real Estate Development Co Ltd (Airport City Real Estate) has been set up to manage the various land development and real estate projects associated with Beijing Airport City.
The airport city will strengthen Beijing Capital International Airport's position as a destination for conferences and exhibitions; provide hotels, modern commercial and residential real estate and international education.
The 70,045sqm ACLP Express Centre is specifically designed and custom built to meet the needs of local and international express courier companies such as DHL, TNT and FedEx.
Shum is confident that the logistics park's range of facilities will appeal to a wide range of tenants. "Each of the five zones has its own potential list of customers," he explains. "The Air Cargo Terminal's potential tenants would be ground handlers such as BGS and Air China.
The Express Centre is aimed at the major international courier companies and local express operators such as DHL, FedEx, UPS and TNT."
The Express Centre facilitates the processing of express cargo from the delivery stations to warehouses. Customs, inspection, quarantine departments and even banks operate close by to provide a convenient "one-stop customs declaration and inspection platform" .
ACLP's 40,880sqm import customs inspection area, also known as the Second Line Cargo Import Centre, provides a fast-track channel for customs to supervise the temporary storage and efficient distribution of imported goods.
Upon arrival, cargo will undergo an initial round of distribution and the centre will provide services including independent assembly and loading, warehouse storage, collection areas and security inspection. Expansion plans call for the customs area to eventually cover 170,800sqm.
The 62,654sqm Bonded Logistics Centre provides bonded warehousing facilities and functions for high-value products, which require high security from their logistic service providers and operates 'single-day tour' packaging and picking for those on tight deadlines.
Infrastructure for the handling of airborne import/export shipments and logistics are also provided and a seamless logistics process is created through the buildings' link to the Air Cargo Terminals, Express Centre, Import Customs Area and Export Cargo Consolidation Area.
Two towers consisting of 121,500sqm of office space completes the logistics complex. The North Tower provides port administration, while the South Tower serves as an integrated customs clearing building. A one-stop customs declaration and inspection hall houses all relevant government departments and other authorities under one roof and is conveniently located on the first and third floors of the South Tower.
Corporations located at ACLP can efficiently complete the entire logistics, taxation and customs clearance process. Office space is available above the fourth floor, providing a high-quality working environment for local and international corporations.
Phase one of the ACLP development is now physically completed. While only the Bonded Logistic Centre and international building are up and running, the rest will become operational after June 2010.
The Beijing Tianzhu Free Trade Zone integrates the functions of existing export processing areas and the Airport City Logistics Park.
Covering an area of 5.9sqkm, the Beijing Tianzhu Free Trade Zone is divided into two areas. The southern area is the Beijing Tianzhu Export Processing Zone and to the north, a 3.2sqkm zone covers the Airport City Logistics Cargo area.
The unique 'three-in-one' platform provided by the free trade zone, export processing zone and bonded warehousing facilities, provide the advantages of special customs supervision allowing an unprecedented level of preference policies, operational efficiency and timesaving.
Future plans include a conference and exhibition city; education city; auto city; trade free city; garden city and industry city. These will fall under the Tianzhu Free Trade Zone, the International Commercial and Living Zone and the Airport Operation Zone.
Meanwhile, Beijing's position as a leading international gateway was assured in 2008 by the biggest land development in its history - the opening of Terminal 3.
Spanning a total space of 986,000sqm and opened on time in late February 2008. The new terminal increased BCIA's total capacity to 82 million passengers per year, which will in a few years make BCIA the busiest airport in the world.
With this much floor space, the Norman Foster-designed terminal is one of the biggest buildings in the world. With 64 restaurants and 84 shops, the terminal is larger than Heathrow's five terminals put together.
