China’s new Daxing airport has been completely developed and costs a splendid $18 Billion.
The Daxing International Airport is located in China’s capital, Beijing. Its construction began in 2014 and was finally opened in 2019. The airport has four runways and a capacity of conducting 300 take-offs and landings an hour. It took approximately forty-thousand workers to work tirelessly to build the splendid new airport. The ‘theme’ suitable for the Daxing airport can be ‘efficiency for the future, while honoring the past.’
The new, technologically-advanced airport looks like a starfish due to its six giant arms stretched over a large area. That’s where it gets its name from. The Daxing airport is officially in the shape of a Phoenix but is nicknamed ‘The Starfish.’ The stunning airport has been designed and developed by the infamous Zaha Hadid. However, there was a reason for the airport to be shaped like a starfish. The shape comes from 5 concourses that connect to the main hall.
This makes it incredibly easy to guide passengers to the proper terminal and departure zones into the various amenities provided by the airport. The whole reason to build this airport was to take the load off the Beijing Capital International Airport.
So, let’s dive into the fascinating features that make China’s new $18 Billion airport a modern marvel.
7 The Smartly Developed Area
The Daxing airport can handle traffic up to 100 million travelers per year. The area inside the terminal is 700 Million sq. miles. Even though the Daxing airport is expected to be one of the busiest airports, it is exceptionally passenger-friendly. Besides the airport’s humongous area, the distance from the security to the farthest terminal of the most distant gate is merely 600 m. This makes it very convenient for travelers to go to their respective gates.
Passengers can reach their destination by just walking for about 8 minutes. The smartly spaced area saves passengers’ time and avoids confusion. The time saved can be utilized in other amenities provided by the airport. Besides, the Daxing airport allows the maximum number of aircraft to be parked at each terminal. It also provides convenience and flexibility to its operators, eliminating the need for any trains or shuttles to assist passengers.
6 The Colossal Architecture And Passenger Amenities
The architecture of the Daxing airport is jaw-dropping. The central atrium has been designed with curves. The purpose of these curves is to bring in the idea of lush rolling fields that stretch out as far as one can see. These are supported by eight c-shaped columns with a stunning 350 ft. vast skylight at the top. The skylight fills the airport with natural light.
The design of the Daxing airport gets impressive when it directly reflects ancient Chinese architecture.
Apart from the architecture, several passenger amenities are the key features of the Daxing airport. It has a luxury hotel, a yoga studio, and showers in the east lounge for passengers to relax between long flights. A beauty spa, shopping centers, and five beautiful traditional Chinese gardens are the additional features. This is where the Daxing airport ‘honors the past.’
The five gardens are located at the end of each corridor of the massive starfish structure. Not just that, each park has its uniqueness and theme. There is the Silk Garden, the Tea Garden, the Porcelain Garden, the Chinese Garden, and the Countryside Garden. Plus, the plants in these gardens take complete advantage of the natural light provided by the skylight.
5 The Advanced Facial Recognition Technology
The most impressive feature of the Starfish is the state-of-the-art facial recognition software. With this advancement, airport check-in is said to be as simple as tossing a coin. Check-in at the Daxing airport shall be completely automated. The airport reflects style and luxury, and the digital check-in speeds up the whole process. It has the capability to check-in 260 passengers per hour. To save passengers’ time further, there will be more than 400 self-check-in stations.
The impressive fact is that passengers do not need any id proof. Not just that, there is zero requirements to show tickets or check-in any luggage. All one needs to do is walk into the airport, show their face, and the computers shall take care of the rest. The computer data enables it to know who the person is, where they want to travel, and helps one get there.
4 The Customer Service Robots
The Daxing International airport also houses some of the most advanced AI Robots. These robots are responsible for dropping cars and picking them up from the parking lot to the terminals. With the help of these efficient robots, the arrival time of a car is estimated to be as little as two minutes.
Robots are also said to take charge of the enormous safety checks required to maintain this magnanimous airport. Robots will attend to some critical functions such as fire alarm control panels, circuit breakers, and disconnections. They will also cater to electric circuit boards and more. The facial recognition software will also be installed in robots which will enable them to assist in security check-in.
This means that if someone who is not supposed to be in the airport is present, the robots shall inform the security. Hence, the chances of adverse incidents occurring are minimized.
3 The 5G-Based Technology
The Daxing airport has chosen to install 5G technology throughout its premises. This network is brought into action by the combined forces of Huawei, China Eastern Airlines, and China Unicorn. With the help of the 5G network, facial recognition technology will be able to function. 5G is all about speed, and It will help passengers quickly find their luggage and board the next flight.
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The integration of this technology has countless benefits. Some of these include faster data rates, energy-saving, lower costs, increased system capacity, and reduced latency for its users. All of these features indeed contribute to it being the ‘network of the future.’
2 The Hyper-Fast Bullet Trains
Apart from the various technological advancements that make the Daxing airport a dream, two hyper-fast bullet trains are connected to the airport. These run at extremely high speeds of 250 Kilometer per hour, giving passengers a travel time of approximately 20 minutes.
The trains lead to Beijing west stations. The available classes in the bullet trains are first, business, and second. Moreover, they are designed to have an excessive aisle space of 1.01 meters to fit more luggage. The installation of two bullet trains costs 33.5 Billion Yuan, which comes up to an exorbitant 4.5 Billion USD.
1 The Eco-Friendly Airport
This is another key feature of this airport. Not only is The Starfish a technologically-advanced airport, but it also contributes to nature. This characteristic, along with several others, makes the airport ‘unique.’ The Daxing airport is developed to leave a low environmental footprint. Some of the features are rainwater harvesting and water management systems. These systems fulfill the purpose of storing, permeating, and purifying water.
Water from lakes, rivers, local streams, and waterfalls is cleansed in an environmentally friendly way. Besides, the airport is designed to lower the chances of flooding. The airport also reduces the Greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere, popularly known as the Summer Feet Island Effect. As a cherry on top, this airport also has an environmentally conscious heating system that recovers and retains the airport’s excess daily heat. This reduces carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
These remarkable features make The Starfish one of the best, most advanced, and ecologically friendly airports globally.
Featured image from Lovepik, trial photo downloaded on February 19, 2021
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