China Southern Airlines launched its fifth rehearsal in Beijing Daxing International Airport on Friday. Photo: Courtesy of China Southern Airlines

Scheduled to open on September 30, the newly completed Beijing Daxing International Airport held its fifth comprehensive rehearsal on Friday. China’s flagship airlines at the airport participated in the dry run to prepare for smooth and safe operations in a month.

China Southern Airlines, which will carry the largest share of the traffic volume at the airport, conducted its largest dry run with 44 simulated flights, 559 staff members, 5280 simulated passengers and 4,600 items of luggage, according to a statement the airline sent to the Global Times.

The rehearsal had the theme of a “pressure test” with 91 subjects, including ground services, freight transport and emergency security, in a bid to comprehensively test the carrier’s flight guarantee capability, read the statement.

One of the highlights in the rehearsal was a digital luggage tag. The newly designed luggage tag allows travelers to check the location of their luggage in real time and will greatly improve their travel experience.

Self-service and paperless traveling are also selling points for the carrier.

By 2025, China Southern Airlines will operate 200 airplanes at the airport and the flights inbound and outbound will reach 900 per day. The new international airport will greatly help to expand flight routes, both domestically and overseas, Wang Yu, an official of Beijing China Southern Airlines Ground Services Co, told the Global Times.

“There are only three months for airlines to prepare for full operation as the construction of the airport was completed at the end of June,” Zhang Xiangxiang, an official with the operation command center of China Southern Airlines’ Beijing branch, told the media after the rehearsal on Friday.

Airline operation, especially at such a big international airport, is extremely complicated, but the companies have become more and more confident after several rounds of practice, Zhang said.

Located in the joint area of Beijing, Tianjin and North China's Hebei Province, the mega airport aims to be the largest air traffic hub in Asia, and more than 60 Chinese and overseas carriers plan to operate from the airport, according to a note the airport sent to the Global Times recently.

The airport completed the general acceptance inspection on Friday, and will be granted an airport operating license soon, national broadcaster CCTV reported.

Global Times