Beijing opens jumbo air terminal

[habi]

Beijing opened its newest airport terminal Friday, a gargantuan glass-and-steel creation built to accommodate a surge in visitors for the Summer Olympics.


A worker cleans at the high speed rail terminal at the new Terminal 3 building at Beijing Airport.

Dozens of passengers from the first domestic flight to arrive at Terminal 3 -- an hourlong jaunt from Shandong province in China's east -- were welcomed with flower bouquets. A British Airways flight from London landed a few hours later.

A group of 10 musicians played string instruments at an opening ceremony attended by Chinese officials.

The terminal, its runway and most of the related infrastructure were built in just under four years, with a compressed timetable to ensure it was ready for the August 8-24 Olympics.

[habi]

The building's deep red pillars and matte gold roof are meant to evoke Beijing's imperial palaces and temples. Triangular skylights which open out onto the gently sloping roof give an airy feeling to the terminal, which houses 64 Western and Chinese restaurants, 90 retail shops, and a state-of-the-art-baggage handling system.

A high-speed commuter train will whisk passengers into the city, while the runway is capable of handling Airbus' huge A380 superjumbo.

At a news conference earlier this week, Dong Zhiyi, deputy general manager of the Capital Airport Holding Co., declared the project "the pride of the Chinese nation."