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Beijing Capital International Airport is located around 20 km to the northeast of Beijing. Although many consider it in Shunyi District, it, in fact, is an exclave of Chaoyang District.
Beijing Airport was opened in the 1950s, and was the first in the PRC. The airport consisted of one small terminal building, which still stands to this day, apparently for the use of VIPs and charter flights. Around 1980, a newer, larger building -- green in colour -- opened, with docks for 10 - 12 airplanes. The terminal was larger than the 1950s one, but by the mid 1990s it was overwhelmed with people and was tested well over the limit.
In late 1999, to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, the airport was expanded again. (This is the Beijing airport of today.) This new terminal was named Terminal 2. On September 20, 2004, the new Terminal 1 opened (it was formerly the only terminal until 1999) exclusively for China Southern AirlinesChina Southern Airlines is an airline based in Guangzhou in the Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China. Its main operations hub is at Baiyun International Airport, although some of its international flights operate from Beijing Capital Inter domestic and international flights from Beijing. Other airlines' domestic and international flights still operate in Terminal 2.
Another, even more ambitious expansion, is in the works, due for completion in time for the 2008 Olympics. This includes a 3rd runway for Beijing airport, and a rail link to the city centre.
The airport used to be remote when it was first created in the early days. Then, a solitary, narrow road served it from the area now known as SanyuanqiaoSanyuanqiao (or Sanyuan Overpass) is a major overpass on Beijing's northeastern stretch of the 3rd Ring Road. It was opened in the 1984 as the PRC turned 35. The overpass links three major passageways in Beijing and the complex structure made it a special.
When China started opening up in the 1980s, the airport was full of activity and the tiny, narrow road that used to serve it was tested to the limit. As a result, in the early 1990Events January January 3 Former leader of Panama Manuel Noriega surrenders to American forces. January 7 The Leaning Tower of Pisa is closed to the public due to safety concerns. January 9 Lt Gen Bazilio Olara Okello The man who led the coup aginst Dr Apos, a nearly 20 km stretch of tollThe word toll can mean more than one thing: In the context of roads, see toll road and toll bridge In the context of New Zealand transport, see Toll NZ In the context of Australian transport, see Toll Group In the context of genetics, see toll (gene) In t expressway -- the Airport ExpresswayThe Airport Expressway (, Hanyu Pinyin: Jichng Gosu Gonglu) is an expressway in Beijing, China, which links central Beijing to the Beijing Capital International Airport. It is just under 20 km in length. Opened in 1993, the expressway links Sanyuanqiao on -- connecting downtown Beijing from the Northeastern 3rd Ring Road at Sanyuanqiao directly to the airport -- was opened.
At least two other expressways linking to the airport are planned before 20082008 is a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). 2008 Years in the future Articulo futuro Predicted events January NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft makes the first of three flybys of Mercury. February 1 Sweden plans to cease analog television b. One of them is a stretch of add-on expressway from the Jingcheng ExpresswayThe Jingcheng Expressway is an expressway in China which links Beijing to Chengde in Hebei province. At present, it is 23 km in length. It is a new expressway linking the northeastern portion of the 3rd Ring Road with the north and north-eastern outlying. Work is due to begin in 2004.