Beijing has planned to construct city terminals for its airports at transportation hubs, according to an implementation plan on reforming and optimizing the capital's business environment issued on Sept. 16.
The city terminals, located in the downtown areas, will offer most of the functions available at airport terminals, including tickets booking, check-in, luggage checking, departure lounge, flight information, parking and other services -- all except for pre-boarding security.
The Beijing Capital International Airport has been operating since 1959, but there has not been a city terminal in Beijing.
According to the Beijing Development and Reform Commission, the city terminals will be built at transportation hubs of the city in several years.
The Beijing Daxing International Airport has been under construction and is expected to open in 2019. The express line for the new airport, running 41.4 kilometers, will start trial operations in September 2019.
The new Airport Express will have three stations: Caoqiao, Cigezhuang, and the new Airport North Terminal Station. Caoqiao will offer parts of the functions of the city terminals. Passengers can check in at the station with their luggage to be carried to the airport terminal directly.
In order to offer luggage check-in, all the new airport express trains will include one extra luggage car in addition to the seven passenger cars.
Caoqiao will be a transfer station between the new airport express line, subway line 10, line 19 (currently under construction) and line 11 (currently in the planning stage).
The Dongzhimen Station, currently the downtown terminus of the Beijing Capital Airport Express, could also offer check-in service when the western extension of the express line is completed around 2020.
"The building and development of city terminals will optimize the layout of urban functions in Beijing. The newly built city terminals will boost tourism around the area," said an official of the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission.