Chinese Airport Boom

In the early 20th century, two French aircraft gave an aerobatic display over Nanyuan Airport in Beijing, the first planes to take off in China. In 1958, Beijing Capital International Airport opened as China’s first commercial airport. In late September 2019, Beijing Daxing International Airport went into operation. From Nanyuan to Daxing, dozens of kilometers apart, the development of Chinese airports over the past century can be seen. According to statistics from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, China had 235 commercial airports nationwide and 174 under maintenance or construction in 2018, up from just 70 in 1978. In 2017, 550 million flight tickets were sold and over seven million tons of cargo was transported nationwide. The International Civil Aviation Organization estimates that every million passengers generates revenue of US$130 million and provides more than 1,000 jobs. Chinese airports are expected to play a crucial role in driving economic growth.