Beijing Capital Airport Guide: The Dragon Terminal Hub
Beijing Capital Airport is the home of Air China and Hainan Airlines, with three runways and Norman Foster's vast Terminal 3. Routes, access and spotting.
By The Aviation Hub
6 min read
Updated October 20, 2026 
Beijing Capital Airport lies in the northeastern suburbs of the Chinese capital, about 20 miles (32 km) from Tiananmen Square. It was the busiest airport in Asia for most of the 2010s, and even after Daxing opened on the far side of the city in 2019 it remains the larger of Beijing’s two gateways. Air China runs its main hub here, and Hainan Airlines a major one. Around 70.7 million passengers used it in 2025 across three runways and a terminal complex that was briefly the largest building in the world.
Beijing Capital Airport at a Glance
The IATA code is PEK, a relic of the old spelling Peking, and the ICAO code is ZBAA. The terminals sit around 20 miles (32 km) northeast of the city centre on the border of Chaoyang and Shunyi districts. Elevation is 116 feet (35 m) on the flat North China Plain.
Three runways serve two active terminal buildings, with the former Terminal 1 now absorbed into Terminal 2 as a satellite. Traffic in 2025 reached roughly 70.7 million passengers and about 442,000 aircraft movements, with cargo of around 1.55 million tonnes. Air China, Hainan Airlines and SF Airlines treat it as a hub, and Shenzhen, Sichuan and Shandong Airlines keep large operations. The state owned Capital Airports Holding runs the field. Flight status and terminal maps are published on the airport’s official website.
A Short History of Capital Airport
The airport opened on 1 March 1958 with a single 2,500 metre runway and a small terminal that served the few flights of the state airline CAAC. The runway grew to 3,200 metres in 1966 and 3,800 metres in 1982 as the country opened to the world. Terminal 1 arrived in 1980 in time for the first wave of foreign carriers, and for two decades it was the whole airport.
Terminal 2 opened in November 1999 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the People’s Republic, and allowed the old building to be refurbished. The decisive turning point was the 2008 Olympics. A third runway opened in October 2007 and Terminal 3, designed by Norman Foster with a red roof in the colour of good fortune and a shape resembling a dragon, followed in early 2008. For a few months it was the largest passenger terminal on earth.
Traffic grew so fast that the airport was the second busiest in the world by 2013. Beijing Daxing, built to relieve it, began taking China Eastern and China Southern away in 2019. Terminal 1 closed in May 2020 and reopened in August 2023 as the Westwing Satellite of Terminal 2.
Runways at Beijing Capital Airport
Beijing Capital Airport has three parallel runways. The eastern runway 01/19 is concrete, 3,800 metres (12,467 feet) long and 60 metres wide, and dates from the 2007 expansion that served Terminal 3. The central runway 18L/36R is the original strip, extended over the decades to 3,800 metres (12,467 feet) of asphalt. The western runway 18R/36L is shorter at 3,200 metres (10,499 feet) and handles much of the narrow body domestic traffic from Terminal 2.
All three are long enough for any aircraft in service, and the airport routinely sees Airbus A380s, Boeing 747-8s and 777-300ERs. Northerly winds in winter put departures on the 36s and 01, while summer brings southerly flow and arrivals over Shunyi. The odd numbering of 01/19 follows the convention of giving a third parallel runway the next number along rather than a C for centre. Air traffic control in Beijing is famously restrictive because of military airspace, and departure delays of an hour or more are a feature of afternoon thunderstorms.
Terminals and Airlines
Terminal 3 is the showpiece. Air China uses it for all domestic and international flights, and most Star Alliance members follow, from United and ANA to Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines. The oneworld carriers, including Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines, share it along with China Airlines. The building is split into 3C for domestic flights and 3E for international, linked by an automated people mover that received new trains in 2021. Air China’s first class lounge in 3E is among the best in China.
Terminal 2 belongs to Hainan Airlines and the SkyTeam group, with Air France and Korean Air among its users. Air Koryo’s rare flights from Pyongyang arrive here, as do some Air China domestic services. It has a gate capable of handling the A380. The reopened Westwing Satellite takes overflow from Hainan’s domestic network. Free shuttle buses link the terminals every ten minutes, though the walk from the metro to a Terminal 3 international gate can take half an hour.
Routes and Destinations
Domestic flying dominates the schedule at Beijing Capital Airport. Shanghai Hongqiao, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen and Hangzhou all see dozens of daily flights on Air China and Hainan, many operated by wide bodies because slots are so scarce. The Shanghai route alone can see a departure every 15 minutes at peak. High speed rail has eaten into shorter sectors, but distances across China keep the big trunk routes full.
Internationally, Air China links Beijing Capital Airport with London, Munich, San Francisco, Washington and Sydney, while Hainan Airlines flies Boeing 787-9s to Seattle and Boston. Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok are the busiest international destinations. The longest route reaches Sao Paulo via Madrid on Air China’s thin South American network. Cargo operators include Air China Cargo, SF Airlines, FedEx and Etihad Cargo.
Getting to and from Beijing Capital Airport
The Capital Airport Express metro line is the cheapest sensible choice. It runs from Terminal 3 through Terminal 2 to Sanyuanqiao and Dongzhimen in 16 to 20 minutes for 25 yuan (£2.70), with an extension to Beixinqiao opened in December 2021 that connects with Line 5. Trains run every eight to ten minutes until late evening. Visitors need a card or a Chinese payment app, as cash is rarely accepted at the gates.
Eighteen airport bus routes fan out across the city and to Tianjin for fares of up to 30 yuan, with journeys of 60 to 90 minutes. Taxis to the city centre cost 100 to 150 yuan (£11 to £16) plus the expressway toll and take 40 minutes outside rush hour, far longer within it. Four toll expressways serve the field, led by the 20 km Airport Expressway from the Third Ring Road. Multi storey car parks face each terminal, and a shuttle serves the cheaper remote lots.
Spotting and Photography
Spotting in China requires care, but Beijing Capital Airport is one of the more tolerant locations. The road along the eastern boundary beside runway 01/19 gives close views of Terminal 3 heavies, and the small park at the southern end of the field near Tianzhu catches arrivals on the 36s. At the Hilton, high rooms on the east side look over the approach to runway 01.
Winter brings clear northerly days with hard light on the 36 approaches in the morning. Summer haze makes long lens work difficult after midday. Expect Air China A350s, 747-8s and 777-300ERs, Hainan 787s in a dozen special liveries, and a steady flow of foreign wide bodies. Police may ask to see identification and photos, so carry your passport, avoid photographing anything military and move on politely if asked.
What Comes Next
Capacity at Beijing Capital Airport is capped by its three runways and by the political decision to send growth to Daxing. The airport is focused on service rather than scale, with refurbishment of Terminal 2, new lounges and a push to restore the international traffic that collapsed after 2020. Movements remain below the 2019 peak and international seats are still recovering.
The strategic question is whether Beijing eventually consolidates its airlines by alliance, with Star Alliance at Capital and SkyTeam at Daxing. Air China’s position is secure, and the airport will remain the main gateway to northern China for the foreseeable future. Compare its runway layout with other hubs on the Airports of the World map.
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