Beijing plans new airport

Beijing's city government has approved plans to build a new airport in a southern suburb within the next five years with an initial annual capacity of 40-million passengers, state media said. Beijing Capital International Airport, by comparison, handled almost 74-m passengers last year. But planners have proposed the new airport to take the pressure off the existing number one, which has long delays at peak travel times even with a new terminal and third runway. Air travel is developing rapidly in China on the back of a booming economy. Airwise News reports that Boeing confirmed that China had agreed to a US$19-billion contract to buy 200 Boeing aircraft for delivery between 2011 and 2013.