SITA, the aviation IT specialist, announced that it has completed the installation of 700 work stations to support check-in, boarding and transfers at Beijing Capital International Airport’s (BCIA) new $3 billion Terminal 3, which will boost the airport’s capacity by an additional 30 million passengers. And 50 SITA self-service check-in kiosks will also be ready to go live when the Olympics open.

Gao Lijia, Deputy General Manager, BCIA Ltd., said: “There is no doubt that the smart deployment of the latest check-in and self-service solutions will help to make travel to and from the Olympic Games as stress-free as possible for both athletes and spectators. SITA is playing a significant role in helping us to manage the large numbers we are expecting over a concentrated period of time.”

Chee Beng Tan, SITA Country Director for China, said: “Beijing Capital International Airport handled 50 million passengers last year and with the additional capacity at Terminal 3 it will possibly become the world’s largest airport. It is now a state-of-the-art facility which will make an enormous contribution to the success of the Olympic Games.

“SITA developed the first-ever common-use terminal equipment, known as CUTE in time for the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984. We have been a crucial partner to airports welcoming athletes and passengers ever since and we are honored to make the best of our IT systems available to ensure that both airlines and passengers are well served on arrival and departure in Beijing this summer.”

Four years under construction, BCIA’s Terminal 3 became fully operational on March 26 with the latest version of SITA’s AirportConnect CUTE IT software installed for check-in at 330 check-in counters and 50 CUSS self-service kiosks which will allow customers of all major airlines to avoid queuing at check-in desks. Work stations will also be installed in airline back offices.

Airlines around the world are expected to increase the number of flights arriving in Beijing by over 70% during the Olympic Games. It is estimated that air traffic will peak three days before the Games Opening Ceremony on August 8 and three days after the closing ceremony on August 24 with an average of 1,900 flights per day compared to the usual average of 1,150.