It is likely to bring new jobs to the south of Beijing but also to play a role in the rapid increase of carbon emissions from the global aviation sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Growing supply and demand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The number of people travelling through Beijing Capital airport has risen sharply in the last decade, from 53 million a year to 100 million, partly as a result of the new Terminal 3 built just in time for the 2008 Olympics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every day, 300 flights cannot be approved for take-off or landing at Capital because of lack of space<\/a>. Only 64% of planes depart on time, sending Capital down to 161st<\/sup><\/a> in the punctuality ratings for large and midsize airports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Li Xiaojin of the Civil Aviation University said: \u201cThere\u2019s a limit to how much Capital airport can be expanded, and a new airport is a better option.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Passenger demand in Beijing is predicted<\/a> to reach 140 million in 2020, rising to 170 million in 2025 and 235 million in 2040. Though it will increase demand, Daxing is also supposed<\/a> to help relieve Capital by serving 45 million passengers in 2021, and 72 million in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the three runways at Capital can handle 110 take-offs or landings an hour, Daxing\u2019s four runways can deal with 141. Daxing lies to the south of Beijing and its economy has long lagged behind the rest of the city. IN the north of Hebei province, which neighbours Daxing, the situation is similar. Incomes and spending on infrastructure are far behind Beijing and Tianjin. The creation of a first-class international airport is an important part of efforts to reduce economic imbalances across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so the new airport comes with good transport links to strategic destinations such as Langfang in Hebei and the \u201ccity of the future\u201d Xiong\u2019an New District<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The global aviation sector creates five jobs in goods and services supply chains and tourism for every one job directly created in aviation operations, according to the latest report<\/a> from the Air Transport Action Group, a commercial aviation body. According to Li Xiaojin, because airports concentrate flows of people, goods and money, Daxing has raised hopes for great strides of development in southern Beijing and northern Hebei. Peng Jianbo of Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning and Design Institute, said<\/a> the airport will create 144,000 new jobs in southern Beijing and Langfang, providing a huge boost to the local economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a real demand and economic rationale for the airport \u2013 but it comes at a time when such projects are increasingly controversial<\/a> worldwide. In the UK, for example, debate over the expansion of London\u2019s Heathrow airport has gone on for over a decade, with environmental groups organising a series of protests<\/a> in March against a proposed new runway. The expansion of Leeds Bradford airport, in the north of England, runs contrary<\/a> to the city\u2019s climate change commitments. Researchers say the expansion would see passenger numbers double by 2030, with the emissions from flights alone twice the city\u2019s carbon emissions target for that year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile Greta Thunberg has targeted aviation emissions during her climate activism, and brough the Swedish phrase flygskam<\/em><\/a> \u2013 flight shame \u2013 into the lexicon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Beijing](\"https:\/\/chinadialogue-production.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/content_image\/content_image\/5790\/W5NA6Y_Beijing_Daxing_International_Airport_under_construction_web.jpg\")
Daxing airport during construction, in April 2019 (Image: Alamy)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe airport economy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Xi](\"https:\/\/chinadialogue-production.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/content_image\/content_image\/5793\/2A1B44X_Xi_Jinping_at_Daxing_international_airport_web.jpg\")
Xi Jinping on the opening day of Beijing Daxing airport (Image: Alamy)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat about emissions?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n