(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-29 11:17

Beijing airport's new terminal, a major expansion project in preparation for the passenger surge during the Olympics, received its first commercial flight after opening on Friday morning.

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Passengers on board the SC1151 flight from east China's Shandong Province got off the flight at 08:50 am.

With a floor space of 986,000 square meters - more than doubling the total area of the first two terminals - the new terminal building could be the largest of its kind in the world, said construction project manager Fan Jun.

The opening of the new terminal, which was designed by leading British architect Lord Foster and started construction on March 28, 2004, will enable the capital airport to handle 76 million passengers a year, against 53 million passengers in 2007.

China is also upgrading several standby airports near Beijing for the Olympics by renovating terminals, enlarging tarmacs, lengthening runways and improving services.