The airport currently occupies an area of 2100ha. An expansion will make it difficult to operate such a huge airport. The recently constructed terminal three, which is as big as London's Heathrow Airport, is also running at maximum capacity.
With the increase in economic growth and urbanisation, the city has witnessed massive migration from rural areas. This has placed further stress on the existing transport facilities, including air travel.
In addition, the expanding economic growth of Beijing has attracted more and more business travellers. Over the next few years, the city is expected to witness a large number of passengers travelling in and out of the country. Many of these passengers are expected to be business travellers.
Proposals for the construction of a second airport for Beijing have been under discussion during the past decade but were not implemented. The growth of the city has, however, necessitated the construction of a new airport.
Beijing Nanyuan Airport, which is currently serving as the second airport for the city, is expected to be closed after the new airport is inaugurated.