Capital's $3.5 billion touchdown

An immediate surprise for new arrivals at the Beijing Capital International Airport comes this week.

They're being met by robotic versions of the Olympic mascots, the Fuwas, who answer questions in many different languages and added to the space-age atmosphere at T3, the world's biggest airport terminal.

From this week, 60,000 Olympic and Paralympic Games officials, athletes and journalists will start pouring through the new $3.5-billion terminal and will put the airport's managers to the test.

The airport's general manager Dong Zhiyi is confident they can handle it, though. He says that the installation of new processing counters means even the huge number of visitors will be rushed through immigration and security in less than 15 minutes.

While they are waiting, the newcomers will surely be blown away by the new super-structure, which looks like a high-tech complex straight out of a James Bond movie.

T3 is part of the capital's modern building boom and its sheer size impresses everybody.

The terminal was designed by a consortium of international architects.

It is the largest airport terminal building complex built in a single phase with almost 1 million sq m in total floor area.

Even if Terminal 3 were an entire airport by itself, it would still be the largest airport in Asia and one of the world's largest in capacity and land size (approximately 986,000 sq m).

It is almost 20 percent larger than London Heathrow Airport's five terminals combined.

It is also the first airport in Asia to operate three runways; in the first 100 days following its opening on February 29, the airport handled more than 62,000 flights and 8 million passengers.

Beijing Capital Airport, now the largest one in China, has always been the major hub of operations for Air China, which flies to around 120 destinations worldwide.

Last year it processed 54 million passengers and 400,000 aircraft, making it the world's 23rd busiest airport.

The opening of the T3 has boosted the number to 620,000.

During this Olympic year, the airport is expected to handle more than 64 million passengers, pushing it into the top five in the world.

The airport has a capacity to handle an estimated 82 million people per year, a major expansion compared to the 35.5 million capacity before T3 opened.

Nevertheless, Beijing authorities are already planning for further expansion. A new airport is planned, with construction due to begin in 2010, approximately 40 km south of downtown Beijing. Its exact location has not yet been decided, however.

The capacity of the new planned super-airport is around 70-100 million. Upon its completion, it will take on most domestic routes too.

Questions:

1. What surprise for new arrivals at the Beijing Capital International Airport arrives this week?

2. What was the estimated cost of the new terminal?

3. During this Olympic year, the airport is expected to handle how many passengers?

Answers:

1. Robotic versions of the Olympic mascots, the Fuwas.

2. $3.5-billion terminal.

3. More than 64 million passengers.