The long wait is over. After almost five years of construction and billions of dollars spent, Beijing’s Daxing International Airport is opening today. Said to be the largest single-building terminal in the world, China’s newest airport is designed to meet the country’s ever-growing travel needs and welcome 72 million passengers per year by 2025. By 2040, the airport is to accommodate 100 million travelers.
Photo: Zaha Hahid Architects
The World’s Largest Airport Is Opening Today in China
The first flight leaving the airport, a China Southern Airlines A380, took off earlier today.
Photo: Zaha Hahid Architects
Nicknamed “the starfish” for its unusual shape, the airport was designed by famous late architect Zaha Hadid.
Travelers can expect a spacious, open interior; customer service robots patrolling the terminals and assisting passengers with flight updates; and express trains straight to the city center.
Photo: Zaha Hahid Architects
The airport is located 29 miles from Tiananmen Square and is the second long-haul international airport in Beijing. Beijing’s Capital International Airport is currently the second busiest in the world, behind Atlanta.
If you have no plans to travel through China but want to explore the airport anyway, you can check out this virtual tour. 
This article was updated on September 25, 2019.