Quick Sidenote: This is The Daily China’s 500th post. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come in just the few short years since this site was created. We’re nearing so many huge milestones like our 100,000th view! I just wanted to express my appreciation for not only my fellow staff members, but also readers like you! The Daily China has been one of the most interesting, fun, and unique components of my high school experience! Not many schools or language programs have their own language/culture website and this sets Jericho apart in my eyes. We don’t wait to follow others. We are the one’s who think of new ideas and figure out how to execute them ourselves. I take great pride in not only our website, but the Jericho community as a whole. Thank you all for checking out The Daily China and please enjoy this article! -Nick
I love airplanes. I also know a lot about airplanes. If you point out a plane flying overhead I’ll probably be able to tell you what it is. The only things I find more interesting than the planes that fly through the sky are the places where they takeoff and land: airports. An airport is exactly what it sounds like: a port for the ships of the sky. They’re intricate operations that rely on speed and efficiency to capitalize on profits and satisfaction.
Asia is home to the best airports in the world according to Skytrax, a global aviation ranking guide. For the sake of comparison, the top five airports are in Asia while none of the United States’ 44,000 airports are in the top 25. These Asian airports are in a league of their own. They all possess a simplistic character while also having defining traits that are synonymous with the cultures they represent.
China’s top ranked airport is Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). It is built entirely on an artificial island in southwestern Hong Kong and is the base of operations for Hong Kong based airlines like Cathay Pacific and Dragonair. The airport is the 8th busiest in the world based on passenger traffic (72,665,078) in 2017. It’s modern design, yet simplistic design makes Hong Kong International Airport the gold standard for travel hubs.
China’s busiest airport is Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK). Because it’s only 20 miles from Beijing’s city center, tourists fly into PEK to take in the sights and sounds of Beijing while businessmen fly in to seek out business opportunities in China’s capital. With 95,786,442 passengers served last year, only Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) has more foot traffic per year.
Airports are everywhere. They are the new medium of transport. From ships to trains to cars and now planes, the human race has made transportation quicker and simpler over just a short period of time. Ships need docks, trains need stations, cars need parking lots, and planes need airports. It just so happens that two of the world’s largest and most popular airports are in China!
https://www.airlinequality.com
https://www.businessinsider.com/best-airports-in-world-skytrax-2018-3
Great article Nick!
这篇文张描述的很好，我也非常喜欢飞机，不过最近北京又建了一个新机场，建好之后会成全世界最大的一个飞机场。每年乘客会超过几乎一个亿。这个机场名叫北京大兴国际机场，会在2019年10月份完工，机场建在那里的原因是因为北京和天津在扩大。这样每个机场不会那么拥挤。
Nice Nick. Airplanes and airports are staples for the modern business society. Thus, they should be at the highest quality to ensure all travelers are safe and well accommodated. Obviously Asia gets this and this is why they are the top airports and airlines in the world. My travels have taken me to Narita airport in Tokyo and Beijing Capital airport. Both are excellent airports, much better than the ones in New York. It’s also really cool that you can identify all the different types of jetliners. On another note, congrats on the milestone article. I wish you and the daily China all the best in their growth and future.
It’s very cool that Asia houses some of the best airports in the world. I’ve been to Hong Kong International Airport a few times, and it is a very unique airport. It’s very modern and clean compared to many others ones I’ve been to. The airport in Beijing looks really interesting as well. Great job to all of the contributors that helped The Daily China reach its milestones.
I had no idea that Skytrax decided that Asia is home to the best airports in the world. I’ve been to Hong Kong International airport before and absolutely loved how clean and modern it was. I can’t believe that Hong Kong International Airport is the 8th busiest in the world with over 72 million passengers. I’ve also been to Beijing Capital International Airport. I loved that there were so many aspects of Chinese culture inside it. It astonishes me that they serviced the second highest number of passengers in 2017. Great article!
72,665,078 commercial flights is a lot. Hong Kong is one of the world’s busiest intersections for world affairs so I’m not necessarily surprised. Whenever I travel somewhere, I’m always impressed with the different airports and the variations between countries. Some airports may have decorated with bright lights, fancy displays, and hundreds of small shops to buy last minute souvenirs from. Others I have seen put little effort into their appearance and choose to go the simple style of decor, giving off the simple but classy look. I love the images you used that show the intricate details and display these airports put up. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for writing this article, Nick. I think it is amazing that you have such a fascination for planes. I cannot believe that Hong Kong has the eighth busiest airport in the world, and based on the picture posted, it looks gorgeous inside! It is amazing that the airport you spoke about in Beijing has served 95,786,442 passengers. I also appreciate the analogy that you used of the airports being the ports to the ships of the sky, that is a very unique way of describing it. In addition, it is very interesting to see how there are a multitude of different personal going through the Beijing airport (PEK) due to the multitude of opportunities offered in Beijing! Keep up the good work!
Great article Nick, very well written and very interesting! Also, I cannot believe that it’s Daily China’s 500th article! Time had gone by so fast and I wish that Daily China could write more and more interesting articles and wish you guys get better every year! I like this article a lot because I love airplanes too and I also know a lot about airplanes as well. So when I saw this article, it spiked up my interest about it right away. But what I didn’t know is that Asia is home to the best airports in the world according to Skytrax. And that the top five airports are in Asia while none of the United States’ 44,000 airports are in the top 25. And that they all possess a simplistic character while also having defining traits that are synonymous with the cultures they represent. I love this article a lot, not just because of my love for airplanes, but also because of it taught me so many new things that I didn’t know about before.
Great article Nick! I love how passionate you are about airplanes and how important they are in transportation. When I was younger, I loved learning about airplanes, and was able to recognize some models. However, I never really thought about airports and the role they have in the ease of transportation for people. It’s amazing that China is home to some of the world’s best airports, and shows that China has a very developed technology. In addition, since China has some of the busiest airports in the world, it shows that China is a very traveled to destination for tourists and business. Also cool that one of China’s airports, the Hong Kong International Airport is one of the most luxurious airports in the world. China truly cares about their passengers experience. Thanks again for helping me relive airplanes and learning about airports!
I didn’t know that Hong Kong International Airport was built on an artificial island. I think that’s so cool! Also, the fact that HKG airport is the 8th busiest in the world shocked me. I really enjoy traveling, so I’ve been to many airports. I thought most of the airports looked similar. However, after looking at pictures of these two airports, that thought kinda changed. I think it was a brilliant idea to exhibit a country’s culture in the airport because it is where people all around the world come and see! I kinda expected Chinese airports to be one of the busiest airports in the world since Chinese population is soaring to the sky. I wonder how many airports are in China.
Thanks for informing us, Nick! I had no idea that Hong Kong International airport was build on a artificial island. Who knew!! I can’t believe that this is The Daily China’s 500th article. It has not felt that long at all. I am a traveler, but I have never seen airports like these. Culture is an amazing thing.
因为基本每年都会美国中国来回飞. 国内的许多机场我都去过. 我真的觉得中国的机场在慢慢的变化. 变得越来越好,创意越来越多. 我家乡的机场也扩建了许多. 看着一天天飞速发展的科技,我真的是非常欣慰.
Congratulations on 500 posts! This article was interesting because when I read that Beijing airport helps more than 95 million people is crazy! I was blown away by this statistic. Also, I’ve never been to a Chinese airport, but based on the article and picture, it looks really cool. Additionally, I would expect the airport to be dirty from China’s pollution, but it actually looks very clean. Since Asia is the center for so much business and people, transportation is key. Thank you for writing this article. I enjoyed reading about your love for airplanes and how it connects to the Chinese culture.
Thanks, Nick I really appreciate this article; it reminds me of the time I spent in China. The Air China and the Beijing Airport (PEK) were the first impressions that I had of China, both were fantastic. The flight attendants were so kind on Air China, everything had English translations, and there were so many options for in-flight entertainment. In fact, I watched two movies and some CCTV shows before coasting smoothly into Beijing Airport. The second that I stepped into the airport, I knew that China was going to be the destination of a lifetime. The gardens, fountains, and Chinese artifacts (including a big bowl), inside the Beijing airport were breathtaking. I didn’t know if it was an airport or a museum. Also, upon disembarking from the flight, we were able to quickly and seamlessly obtain our bags with no lost luggage even though the airport was very crowded. It was the definition of efficiency. The thing that struck me the most about the airport was the beautiful roof, it ascended and descended like a hill in a beautiful Chinese countryside landscape. Then, we got on the airport shuttle and began the trip of a lifetime. I have to agree with you that the airports in China were much more efficient than the America airports; it was truly amazing to behold. Thanks Nick for taking me down memory lane.
Amazing article about China’s modern airports. Infrastructure in the U.S. is pretty disappointing, especially when it comes to airports. I feel like other governments can turn towards China’s amazing, useful, and beautiful designs for airports as inspiration for building and improving their own. These Asian airports are truly in a league of their own. Even though I’m not one who would love air travel, I would love to go to one of these airports just for the sake of looking around. I especially love the variation between Chinese airports – some airports have traditional elements built in to attract tourists, while others are modern giants that seem like they’re built for 2100, not 2018.
This was a very interesting article! I had no idea that the Hong Kong International Airport was built on an artificial island in southwestern Hong Kong. I also had no clue that it’s the 8th busiest in the world based on passenger traffic. I’ve been to the Beijing Capital International Airport and it’s always packed with people trying to get to their terminals!
Great article! It’s amazing how the top five airports are in Asia. I never knew that the Hong Kong International Airport was built on an artificial island. I had no idea that it was the 8th busiest airport in the world. It’s also incredible to learn that the Beijing Capital International Airport served over 95 million passengers in just a year.
Great Article! These airports are very busy because of China’s large populations. The Hong Kong airport is built on a man-made island, which helps China to look forward on new technology. In the pictures, they even show traditional Chinese gardens and an array of shops! I hope that many of our US airports will become innovative like China’s.
Great article! I didn’t think that airports were interesting until now. My brother loves airplanes and always talks about them so I get annoyed but this article made me realize that airplanes might not be so bad after all. I also find it amazing how the Hong Kong International Airport has its own base for airplanes.
Cool article! With everything else China has, it makes sense that they’d have such good airplanes. It’s so interesting to read about what goes into these airplanes and airports. Also, that airport in the picture looks so nice! I hope if I ever go to China I will get to see an airplane like that.
Very good article on planes and airports. It reminds me of when I was young and was always excited when I traveled to other countries and saw the diversity of airports. I have been to many airports including hong kong international airport and I totally agree with you about how busy the airport is due to the number of gates and congestion of it (There are more than 500 gates at hong kong airport!!!). I have been to the area in hong kong airport shown in the picture and it was quite spectacular to see a replica of the Wright brothers airplane. Whenever I fly in every year the airport gives me a lot of nostalgia. Good article that brings back memories for me from when I visited Hong Kong.
This is such an informative article. I never knew the top 5 airports are all located in Asia. I would’ve guessed that airports in the States or in Europe would fill those ranks. I’ve been to airports in Japan (Osaka, Tokyo) and Taiwan (Taipei). I know from experience that everything is very modern, clean, and convenient with a simplistic style. Everything from the clean bathrooms (& amazing Japanese toilet seats) to MRT subways and delicious food makes Asian airports that much more enjoyable.