Check in to the Starfish, Beijing's new international airport

A starfish's usual habitat is the bottom of the seabed, but this one takes up more than 700,000 square meters (173 acres) of land 45 kilometers (nearly 30 miles) south of the Chinese capital. Opened by President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, Beijing Daxing International Airport is expected to become the world's biggest airport due to the continued economic rise of the Asian powerhouse.

Designed by the late Iraqi-British architect Zahara Hadid, who died in 2016, the airport took less than 5 years to construct and cost 120 billion yuan ($17 billion, €15.4 billion). The airport is expected to reach full capacity, some 72 million passengers a year, in 2040.

One of the largest single-structure airport terminals in the world, Beijing Daxing stands out for its flowing, curved lines and use of natural light that filters down to the lowest levels of the building through openings on the roof.

The size of the terminal may put off those travelers with mobility issues, who presume that the huge structure will mean longer walking times after check-in. However, the airport's management has promised a distance of no more than 600 meters (656 yards) between the security checkpoints and aircraft, which would take about 8 minutes to walk.

The unveiling of the new mega-airport took place just days before China celebrates 70 years of Communist Party rule. Air transport is booming as living standards increase along with peoples' desire to travel. The country is expected to surpass the US to become the world's biggest aviation market by the mid-2020s, according to the International Air Transport Association.

China's leaders promise that Daxing would be one of the most technologically advanced airports in the world. Huawei will provide a 5G smart travel service that will allow the integration of advanced communications for travelers, airlines and the airport's management. Facial recognition will be used not only for check-in and security but also for flight attendants to help passengers to their seats.

One small opening hitch happened when the maiden commercial flight from Beijing Daxing International Airport — an A380 superjumbo heading to the southern city of Guangzhou — was delayed by nearly 30 minutes. Although several foreign and domestic airlines plan to move their operations to the new airport, most carriers will likely wait for opening glitches to be ironed out.