28 October 2019

British Airways makes first flight into Beijing’s Airport

The airline is the first international carrier to fly into the state-of-the-art airport since it was officially opened last month

On Sunday October 27, British Airways has made its first flight into the new state-of-the-art Beijing Daxing International Airport. British Airways is the first international airline to do so since the airport – one of the most technologically advanced in the world – was officially opened last month.

The maiden flight, on a Boeing 777-300, arrived the morning of October 27 at 09.15 local time. Go Pro footage from the flight shows the extraordinary view of the airport that greeted flight crew on their descent. British Airways will run a daily service between Heathrow and Beijing Daxing, with four cabins: First, Club World (business class), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and World Traveller (economy). Fares start from £414 return and British Airways Executive Club members will gain enhanced frequent flyer benefits and Avios can be used on reward flights, upgrades, hotels, experiences and for part payment, allowing customers to cut the cost of future British Airways flights.

British Airways customers arriving in Beijing Daxing are set to experience a range of innovations as they travel through the stunning new terminal building, including facial recognition and self-service biometrics at security, self-service check-in kiosks and baggage drop machines, a paperless journey from check-in to boarding, and real-time baggage tracking.

The terminal building also features numerous innovations aimed at maximising the use of natural light and limiting energy consumption. It is powered by photovoltaic solar panels and has a centralised heating system with waste heat recovery supported by a ground-source heat pump. It also has a state-of-the-art rainwater collection and water management system linked to nearby wetlands, lakes and streams to prevent flooding and counter the summer 'heat island' effect on the local microclimate.

Once customers have passed through security, they will have access to over 300 shops and restaurants and for those eligible access to two brand-new partner lounges operated by BCS and the East Pacific Group.

The 700,000m² airport was designed in partnership with British Architecture firm, Zaha Hadid Architects.

Noella Ferns, British Airways’ Executive Vice President in Greater China and the Philippines, said: “British Airways is hugely proud to be the first international airline to fly into Beijing Daxing. This stunning and innovative new airport and the world-class customer experience it provides will play an important part of our strategy to increase travel between China, the UK and beyond.”

The following Avios part payment options are available for Heathrow to Daxing, based on a fare of £414:

£393.42 plus 2,000 Avios

£373.42 plus 5,500 Avios

£343.42 plus 11,600 Avios

£313.42 plus 18,400 Avios

£263.42 plus 30,500 Avios

£213.42 plus 42,500 Avios

British Airways is investing £6.5 billion for its customers over the next five years, including the installation of the best quality Wi-Fi and power in every aircraft seat, fitting 128 long-haul aircraft with new interiors and taking delivery of 72 new aircraft. This year the airline is also introducing its Club Suite, a new business class seat with direct aisle access.

The terminal building was designed by its Joint Design Team under the leadership of the Beijing New Airport Headquarters, bringing together British firm Zaha Hadid Architects and ADP Ingenierie to collaborate on the optimised design, subsequently working with the Beijing Institute of Architecture and Design and China Airport Construction Company to deliver the project.

The daily flights of British Airways to and from Beijing Daxing are:

BA0039 – LHR (dep. 17.20) to PKX (arr. 10.25 +1).
BA0038 – PKX (dep. 12.10) to LHR (arr. 15.25).

Beijing Daxing is approximately 50km from both Beijing city centre and the Xiong'an New Area and only 80km from Tianjin. Transport connections to and from Beijing Daxing include four new highways and both a new high-speed subway and railway line, which will carry customers to Caoqiao or Beijing West stations in around 20 minutes.

Edited by Alisè Vitri

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